


The Forbidden Ship

by OctopusDollcosplay



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Emotional Hurt, F/M, Forbidden Love, Hurt/Comfort, Strong Female Characters, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-04-28 00:31:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 33
Words: 119,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14437551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OctopusDollcosplay/pseuds/OctopusDollcosplay
Summary: Mature themes and ContentEmotional StoryViewer Discretion is AdvisedVriska had set out on a journey to find her ancestor, but what she found was betrayal and an unlikely friend.





	1. Left Behind

**Author's Note:**

> This story has mentions of rape but does not have detailed scenes depicting the act.
> 
> This story is dedicated to people struggling with abuse and hardships in their life. There are good people in this world. You just got to find them.
> 
> You can ask questions at Dualvris @ tumblr or Octopusdollcosplay @ instagram.

“Wwhat the fuck is wwrong wwith you? You are gonna get yourself culled, Vvris,” Eridan Ampora scoffed looking at his black mate before him.   
It was a warm day in the middle of the sixth perigree and the two trolls met up on a dock looking out over the Alternian Ocean. Vriska Serket, who was now at the age of ten sweeps, was dressed in a black tank top and jeans, her long black hair tied back in a braid. Today, she was setting out on a mission to join the crew of her ancestor, Mindfang, so she could become a real pirate like she had always dreamed of. Eridan did not like this idea, frankly. Sure, she was his kismesis, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care about the crazy cerulean bitch.   
“Eridan, I know what I am doing! I am the 8est and have the gr8est luck out of everyone!” she laughed with her hands on her hips.   
“You are seriously goin’ after her?” he sighed squeezing the bridge of his nose under his glasses in a fit of stress.  
“Yes! I already said I was, Fishdick,” she scoffed crossing her arms.  
“That’s fuckin stupid,” he muttered rolling his eyes.  
“Oh fuck you…..” she scoffed.  
“You already havve. Wwant me now?” he chuckled softly raising a suggestive eyebrow.  
“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” she said with a cocky smirk.  
“Yeah yeah…… You wwill be careful right? I mean as your kismesis, I need you to not do any stupid shit. I need you to come back. You’re my only quadrant….” he sighs.  
“Awwwwwwww how sweet,” she laughed.  
“Pfft….You wwill come back, right?” he mumbled twiddling his fingers.  
“Going to miss me?” she said with a smirk.  
“Shut up” he hissed.  
Vriska sighed and looked up at Eridan. She had an old tattered bag slung over her shoulder, it was fully packed. In her hand she held the journal of the Marquise, Mindfang. Many called her a demon of the seas, Vriska proudly called her, her Ancestor.  
“I will be 8ack, Eridan. Who else is going to pail you out of h8?” she said with her classic snarky Vriska smirk.  
“Wwho wwill pail you in general?” Eridan scoffed.  
“Okay then. 8ye. Never see you again,” she replied turning her back to the violet blood.  
“Vvris, good luck. Okay? I can’t havve you dyin’ or nothin’,” he groaned grabbing her shoulder.  
She turned her head glancing over her shoulder at him. The cool sea breeze blew her hair around like spider’s silk. Through her glasses she had a confident look in her asymmetrical eyes.   
“Luck? I am a Serket remem8er? I’m all a8out luck!” she boasted.   
She hopped down off the dock into a small boat that was floating in the water, it was only a small two seater fishing dingy with a motor. Vriska had borrowed it, and by borrow that means she stole it, for Serkets do not borrow anything and take what they believe is rightfully theirs. She pull started the small motor engine on the boat, getting the motor to whirl up with a small hum, and causing the water swirling around the spinning blades of the propeller to bubble.  
Eridan chuckled at her, but it was a somber sort of chuckle. “Yeah I knoww, Vvris.”  
The violet blood didn’t exactly like the idea of her leaving to go off on some sort of crazy ancestor hunt. Again, she was his kismesis but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be someone he cared about, and the thought of her getting hurt or dying made his fins droop slightly. He sighed softly as she drifted off into the sea, she was a soon fading black dot on the line where the deep blue met the sky’s pink hue.  
“Crazy bitch,” he sighed to himself.  
Ever since she was a small wriggler Vriska had wanted this. Ever since she got Mindfang’s journal, she had a burning flame of passion that fuelled her actions. Being a pirate was the life she had always wanted, and being a pirate on Mindfang’s ship made that dream even better. No laws, power, riches, independence, freedom….... It was perfect! Plus she always did love that big blue ocean, it was as blue as the blood that ran through her veins. When she was younger, she always found herself staring out at the sea, it helped her when she was dealing with troubles. It was a mystery and it held countless adventures, which brought joy to her heart. She knew the ocean was where she belong, and a small part of her believe she should have been a sea dweller, but that was just a small part, she didn’t want to be like Eridan or Feferi.  
Now at the age of ten sweeps her dream was finally coming into fruition. She just needed to find Mindfang and have her take Vriska into her web…. And why wouldn’t she do that? She was her descendent, after all. The girl assumed Mindfang would probably be so happy to see that her descendant travelled such a long way to see her.   
Vriska had tried her best to have her life to play out like Mindfang’s, using what she read from the elder Serket’s journal as reference. She even managed to get an Ampora for a kismesissitude, she figured that it was destiny for Amporas and Serkets to always be black. She was lucky enough to have that fool, Eridan, be in a black romance with her, he mainly agreed because he was desperate and he constantly visited her. He mainly stopped by to demand Vriska to build weaponry for him, but when she offered him a role in the quadrant, he thought why not get some “fun” out of the visits. He was more than happy to indulge and act out the more intimate parts of the journal. They generally had these role plays when they did their black rom flarping and pailing sessions; she would be dressed in her Mindfang cosplay and he dressed as Mindfang’s kismesis and his ancestor, Dualscar.  
Weeks passed and Vriska, unfortunately, had no luck in finding whom she was seeking. She stopped at small fishing and market villages and harbors, to ask locals if there had been any sightings of that great pirate woman or her ship. Again, no luck. Now this was becoming very un-Serket-like and Vriska was not thrilled by this at all. That was until one evening in the eighth week of her travels.  
The girl had stopped at the measly little dockside of some floating harbor village, due to the need of supplies and rest. To be entirely honest, as much as she loved the seas, sleeping out on a shitty dingy that thrashed around in the waves like a feather in the wind was far from comfortable, and far from safe too. Some nights, she would find herself with wide eyes as she could hear the monstrous noises of enormous lusii swimming just below her vessel. Becoming a meal for some parental beast was not a part of her dream, and it would hopefully never will be either because she had already spent most of her life avoiding being eaten by her own horrific lusus. The last thing she needed was some gigantic lusus pulling her, and her small boat, down into the cold darkness of the depths, never to be seen again.  
She was staying in a small inn that over looked the sea, she got a nice enough little room, it had a rope hammock, wooden desk, and a window with a view of the docks and sea. That evening as she was bedding down in her hammock she heard a loud boom of a cannon going off, followed by the destructive sounds of a building bursting into rubble and the screams of pedestrians. She quickly got up to the sounds of terror and grabbed her glasses off of the desk putting them on a bit groggy-like as she made her way to the window. She gazed out it, unamused at first before her eyes widened at the sight she saw.  
A large pirate ship was stopped in the harbor, swarms of criminals were flooding out into the streets, terrorizing the locals and looting whatever building they saw. A sly fanged smile crossed Vriska’s face, for she recognized that flag with the familiar and distinct eight pupil jolly roger as it blew about violently in the sea wind. The ship was just as familiar, it was familiar down to every detail written in twisted words composed of that cerulean blue ink she read off the yellow tinted pages of the aged journal. The one thing that was a dead ringer that this was in fact the ship she was looking for, was the silhouette of a tall ominous figure of a demon like woman standing on the bow.  
She quickly pulled on her jeans, for she was only in her panties and her tank top, and grabbed her bag running out the door in urgency. Most of the pirate woman’s cronies were too busy pillaging and raping to notice the young Serket girl running towards the ship. The demon woman looked down at the girl jumping down off the bow landing before her. There was a sharp click of metal as her heels hit the stone ground. She was about to unsheathe her cobalt blue steel sword and slice the girl where she stood before she got a good look the young girl causing her to smirk.  
“Well well, fuck me in the key hole. Looks like me young wriggler found her way in me we8…” she cackled.   
Her voice was dark and twisted in an enjoyable way, like the shrill hiss of the winds in a storm. She was shrouded in an armored dress of black and blue, and metal soled heeled boots that were the color of a mutant’s candy blood. Her hair was untamed and wind whipped, from the hardships the sea bestowed upon it.  
“Come on girl! Let us go!” she said with a wicked laugh as she patted Vriska on her shoulder.


	2. Trapped in Paradise

“And this is goin’ to 8e yer room,” Mindfang stated showing Vriska a dinghy storage closet.  
After Mindfang finished up her devious work on the harbor village, the sun had rose, and she finally decided to take Vriska aboard the ship, to show her around, while the men packed up their supplies. Before Vriska made her way on the ship, she saw it as a paradise for it was a massive beautiful nautical vessel of power, or at least the outside appeared that way. As Mindfang proceeded to show the mini Serket below deck, Vriska saw that those nice looks were only on the outside. Below the deck there was a different aura, composed of a darkness only found in nightmares and a sensation of grotesque impending doom. Spider webs covered the ceiling like a thick blanket of snow, roaches were stuck in them squirming and struggling for freedom as arachnid death approached them, gouging them open and eating out their insides. Though the spiders didn’t bother Vriska much, the strange feeling of death did. She just shrugged it off though, it would be alright, nothing bad would happen to her as long as Mindfang was with her.  
When Vriska arrived at her new sleeping quarters, her hopeful smile faltered slightly. The closet was no more than six feet long and six feet wide, plus half the room was filled with cleaning supplies and crates that had a few rats gnawing away at them with their disgusting yellowed fangs. Vriska raised an eyebrow before just smiling weakly at Mindfang.  
“Thanks…” she mumbled softly.  
“Yeah, whatever ye are goin’ to need is in that room. I 8e needin’ some lu88er to mop me ship, make it nice and clean,” Mindfang laughed evilly, a wide grin crossing her blue tainted lips.  
“Mindfang…. I came here to sail 8y your side …. Not to clean yer ship…” she muttered with a disappointed expression plastered on her face.  
“Sail? With me? Don’t make me laugh! Girl, ye 8e too shrimpy to 8e a true seafarin’ lass like me. I only decided to keep ye around to do 8ilge rat work,” she chuckled in amusement at the girl’s foolish dreams.  
Vriska frowned feeling hurt by Mindfang’s words. “I am no shrimp…. I … I can hold my own. I made sure that I could do everything I could to impress you. I got your journal and everything.”  
“Oh yeah?” Mindfang scoffed leaning in getting up in Vriska’s face. “Tell me, Lu88er. What have ye done?” she hissed, words thick with poison.  
Vriska leaned her head back slightly intimidated by her cold ancestor. “I… I have killed countless trolls to feed my lusus… I 8linded my close friend… paralyzed another 8y pushing him off a cliff …. And I controlled a honey 8lood into killing his m8sprit…”  
Mindfang yawned utterly uninterested by the girl’s desperate attempt to impress her. “That is all?!... I really should just toss ye over8oard…. 8ut………” she dragged that word on for quite a moment. “We are 8lood ……. And I need a deck hand, one of me old ones met an ill f8 and is no longer with us. I will give ye eight minutes to get situ8ed, then ye will 8e off to cleanin’ me deck!”  
Mindfang walked off with a swagger, her scarlet heels clicking on the wooden floor, as she laughed maniacally. Vriska sighed sitting down on a crate, that wasn’t being eaten by rats, and looked down at the elder Serket’s journal. She teared up some, this was not what she expected, Mindfang was supposed to accept her. She growled wiping her tears, she could prove herself to Mindfang, make her see that she would be a good pirate. She stood up putting the journal in her bag, which she hung up on a broom rack bolted to the wall so the rats couldn’t get it, and grabbed some cleaning supplies. Time to scrub a fucking deck.  
Hours go by as she scrubbed that entire deck, sweat trickled down her form, the knees in her jeans got worn out and blisters began forming on her hands. The whole time the crew members, who were in fact all male, whistled and cat called at her with wide hungry grins. A few of the males came up behind her and groped and smacked at her rear. At that point she growled throwing the scrubber on the ground and marching down below deck to the captain’s quarters. All the men continued to holler at her, teasing her, as they watched her rear as she walked. Vriska banged on the door with an angry blistered fist.  
“WHAT?!” yelled the vile woman as she slammed open the door.  
“I. Cleaned. Your. Fucking. Deck.” Vriska snarled glaring into Mindfang’s eyes with intensity and anger.  
“Awww good girl! Ye look upset…. Somethin’ trou8lin’ ye?” Mindfang asked in a soft yet obviously mocking and sarcastic tone.  
“Can you tell YOUR crew to 8ack off?” she hissed.  
“Hmmmmmmmm, No. Ye 8e a 8ig girl, do it yerself. Look at me. I am the only female on this ship and I managed to train those fuckin’ men like ponies at a circus…. Figure it out for yerself!” Mindfang stated with not even the slightest hint of compassion in her tone.  
Vriska furrowed her eyebrows as she did a look over on Mindfang. She had just noticed that Mindfang was not dressed in her usual seafaring attire, but something that resembled a lingerie gown that would be found on the corpse of a strung out young stripper. Vriska’s glances passed the alpha Serket and into the room behind her. She saw a longed horned male laying down on a pailing platform in a drunken stupor. Of course, that guy, The Summoner. Vriska figured that he probably flew aboard the ship when no one was looking with those ridiculous transparent burnt orange fairy wings of his.  
Vriska’s face flattened, not wanting to deal with Mindfang anymore at the moment and she let out a sigh. “Anything else you want done, ’Captain’?”  
“Yeah… Do me a favor and GET THE FUCK OUT OF ME FACE!” The wicked bitch yelled slamming the door shut.  
The young cerulean blood sighed, when she started this journey the thought of being despised by her Ancestor was not on the agenda. Hearing her stomach emit a low rumbled growl, she decided to search around for the galley so she could scrounge the area for something to gnaw on. She soon finally found the blasted place, grimy and filled with scattering cockroaches. That figures, she thought. She could feel the presence of two men in the room, but she did her best to ignore their existence for the time being.  
Vriska looked around, on a nearby wooden counter and found a bowl with recently rotting fruit. She sighed digging through the bowl, pulling out a bruised apple, she supposed this was better than nothing. As she did her scavenging for food, she could feel the hungry stares of the slowly approaching men. She took a small bite of the bruised apple, having her back turned to the men. She heard the creak of wood underfoot, right behind her, and she turned tensing up at the sight of two animalistic males right up in her face.  
One of the males was a large burly scarred up fellow, his right eye was stitched shut and he had a jagged vertical scar over his lips. The larger male had gazelle like horns, the right one being broken off only five inches from the base of his scalp and short hair that faded into a short thin beard. The other male was a sickly thin, sketchy bilge rat looking character, with greasy hair dangling in his face. His horns and fangs were twisted and distorted, and he had long sharp needle like claws. She recognized the bilge rat as one of the culprits who smacked her rear when she was scrubbing the deck. Both of the males were dressed in tattered clothes composed of black short sleeved tunics with Mindfang’s symbol on them, pants that were worn to hell and back and filthy weathered boots.  
“Um…. Can I help you?” Vriska asked a bit nervously as she analyzed the two trolls.  
“Ye sure are a purdy one, ye will suffice,” the bilge rat stated with a smirk running his claws on his right hand over her cheek, blue streaks of torn flesh appeared on her cheek.  
Vriska backed up, her lower back hitting against the counter, as she saw the two males grow wicked grins and hungry expressions. She gripped the bruised apple in her hand, the sticky fruit juice coating her palm. She did not like this, the two stepped closer, she didn’t like this at all.  
“Aw relax sweet cheeks…. Everythin’ will be better if ye just relax,” the bilge rat snickered running a hand through the side of her hair.  
The larger male just grinned and nodded, making pleased growls as the bilge rat messed with the girl. Vriska noticed that the larger troll, was lacking a tongue which explained why he wasn’t talking. The sketchy troll pressed his body against Vriska’s, making her be pinned against the counter.  
“Just relax…. And it will all be over before ye know it….” he snickered leaning in to kiss her on her blue colored lips.  
Vriska snarled taking the hand with the apple in it and smashed the fruit against the side of his head. Chunks of bruised apple flew onto the ground, while a majority was splattered on the bilge rat’s head. He backed up some growling; Vriska took this opportunity to run towards the door, her breath hitched in fear as she ran. The burly troll ran after her and tackled her to the ground, like a predator and its prey. With a twisted look the bilge rat walked up to her, looking down at her with a smugly pleased look in his eyes.  
“Ye should have just relaxed….” he sighed shaking his head.  
The burly troll shifted Vriska up so she could be facing up to be able to look up at the sketchy crew member. She gritted her teeth struggling to get free, but the other had her arms pinned behind her back and he was way too strong for her. The beat of her blood pusher was rapid now and her eyes were wide as the bilge rat leaned in and reached to undo his own pants.  
After a bit the two trolls exit the galley with content smirks on their faces, and laughs could be heard from them as they made their way down the hall. Vriska was laying on the cold wooden floor of the galley, battered and bruised a dark cerulean hue. Blood was running down the side of her face from a busted lip she had obtained from struggling during the whole ordeal. Slowly the young girl stood, her legs trembling violently, and began to stumble forward. She emitted a sharp hiss of pain as she tried to walk, but through will power she pushed through it and made her way out of the galley.  
Vriska painfully limped down the hall until she reached the Captain’s quarters. She hesitated for a bit, just standing there trembling in front of the door with her fist in the air before knocking on it. Her knocks were weak and pathetic, due to the fact her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. The door slammed open after a few seconds being greeted by the wicked elder Serket, who had a far from happy expression on her face.  
“WHAT!?” the evil woman yelled at her wounded descendent.  
The older woman’s face softened from anger to curiosity as she analyzed her descendant’s current defeated state. Vriska’s clothes were torn and dirty, stained in her blood and other fluids those ‘lovely gentlemen’ bestowed upon her. Her cheek was swollen from being slapped and hit, while the side of her mouth had claw marks over it from having a hand over it to muffle the pleas of help she tried to call out. Her blood colored tears were starting to swell up in her eyes, and were soon over flowing. Her once proud confident person was now reduced to a feeble trembling little girl.  
“What happened to ye?” Mindfang asked in a soft yet somehow still uncaring tone.  
“M-Mindfang…. Y-your crew…. They….they,” she started to sob unable to finish her statement.  
“They what? Spit it out…” she asked sneering at the crying girl.  
“They took advantage of me!” Vriska whimpered.  
“Oh really now? That is quite unfortun8 …” she replied still not showing any signs of concern about Vriska’s wellbeing.  
“A-aren’t you g-going to do anything!?” Vriska cried still shaking.  
“No. Ye should have not tempted them. Ye should have made yerself look undesirable….” Mindfang hissed.  
“D-don’t you even c-care? M-Mindfang…. I … I am y-your descendent …. W-we… We are 8lood…” she muttered her tears streaming down her face.  
Mindfang’s nose scrunched at the word descendent, causing her to lean down glaring at Vriska with a low hate filled growl. “Listen here! Ye. Ye are a very stupid girl. Ye came here thinkin’ that 8eing a pir8 would 8e all fun and games. Ye thought ye could 8e as gr8 as me…. Well let me tell ye somethin’….” She leans in growling into Vriska’s ear. “No matter what ye do in life… ye will always 8e nothin’….” she whispered in her ear with words that stung like black widow venom.  
She leaned back crossing her arms glaring hateful daggers down at Vriska. Just then there were the steps of someone approaching the two Serkets from the hall. It was the bilge rat, smirking wide filled with pride as he stepped up beside Vriska, wrapping an arm around her. He pressed his nose into her hair smelling her scent before he turned to grin at Mindfang.  
“Oi Captain, I got to thank ye for the entertainment ye brought on board. Ye sure know how to please yer crew, this little beauty feels great,” he laughed smacking Vriska on the rear.  
Vriska trembled violently looking at Mindfang frightened, her eyes were pleading. The bilge rat groped at Vriska chuckling darkly as he watched her shake like a leaf stuck in a thunder storm. He smacked her rear again watching her jump on impact; Mindfang leaned against the door frame chuckling some.  
“Anythin’ for me crew, need to show ye all that I know how to take care of ye. I knew ye would enjoy her,” Mindfang replied in a prideful smug voice.  
Vriska looked at Mindfang shocked, “W-what are you talking a8out?”  
The bilge rat grinned laughing loudly, “Oh she didn’t tell ye?”  
“T-tell me what?” Vriska whimpered.  
Mindfang sighed before smirking, “Guess it is time ye know the real reason I 8rought ye a8oard. Ye see, men grow irrita8le and have urges that get pent up when ye stick ‘em all out on a 8oat together. It was a8out time I 8rought some ‘womanly entertainment’ a8oard for ‘em. When I saw ye at that har8or I knew ye‘d 8e perfect.”  
Vriska’s eyes widened at this and her shaking stopped as she grew into a petrified state of shock. “You 8rought me on 8oard to 8e a plaything for your crew?”  
“That’s right!” the bilge rat said grinning wide.  
“I am your 8lood! You… You can’t do that!” she cried.  
“Oh Vriska, Ye should know this 8y now… I am Mindfang… I can and will do whatever I fuckin’ want… Ye see out on the seas… There are no rules…” she scoffed. “I see ye have gotten well acquainted me first m8, ye listen to his orders when I am not around. Now leave me alone…. And stop crying like a fucking gru8,” Mindfang stated coldly turning and going back in her room, closing the door with a loud slam.  
The first mate patted Vriska on the rear, “We will be getting to know each other very well from now on.”  
Vriska grit her teeth and violently ripped away from the first mate causing him to just laugh. She began running as fast as she could away from him, and Mindfang’s room. Cerulean tears flew from her face as she ran, her feet making loud thumps with each forceful step she took. This wasn’t supposed to happen! Mindfang was supposed to love her, take her as her apprentice, and guide her into becoming a great pirate. The woman Vriska had spent her life idolizing was an utter monster. The woman who was her ancestor, was a fucking demon.  
The first mate laugh watching Vriska, “Where are ye goin’ to run to Vriska? Ye be on a ship!”  
She sighs going into the galley again, in search of something to wash down her pain. Bile rose in her throat as she saw stains of her own blood, along with clumps of her hair, on the ground. She closed her eyes tightly trying her best to hold back the tears that were trying to form again. She opened them again, a blurry gaze landing over on a bottle of rum that was sitting in the corner. She wiped her wet eyes from under her glasses and walked over to the rum. The broken Serket grabbed it gazing at it with a somber yet somehow blank expression.  
She took the bottle of rum back to her ‘room’ with her, walking with a undead sort of shuffle. She stepped on the tail of a rat, making it let out a painful screech-like squeal as she made her way inside the storage closet. Taking a seat on one of the crates she looked at the bottle of rum again slowly opening it up with her blistered and bruised hand. She deserved a fucking drink she figured as she took a big swig of the liquid. Her nose scrunched at the foul taste and at the way it burned her throat, she wanted to puke it up but she swallowed it. She took another swig, repeating the process, until the bottle was drained of all its contents. Even though she drank an entire bottle of strong rum, she strangely enough couldn’t get a wink of sleep that night. She just leaned against the crates, listening to the rats chew on whatever they were near, and watching roaches struggle to get free from a giant spider’s venomous grip.


	3. Adaptation

It has been a sweep since Vriska discovered the gruesome truth behind the reason she was brought aboard the Marquise’s ship. Conditions didn’t improve, yet only grew worse for her. What she once sought out for as a paradise was now a Hell incarnate for Vriska Serket. Serket, she used to be so proud to have that name, because she thought it was derived from a great and powerful being she was blessed to be related to. Everything she thought to be true was a load of utter hoof beast shit. She was just a foolish girl with foolish dreams, that would NEVER come true, and now her stupid dreams landed her as a slave to a crew of disgusting depraved men and a horrible evil woman, who she dreaded to call her Ancestor.   
The crew was more than cruel to her, and wouldn’t let up with their harassment. She wasn’t even seen as a person anymore by them, not that they saw her as one to begin with, she was just an object used for the cheap entertainment whenever they felt their urges kick in. When she walked passed one of them, they would grab at her and call out derogatory lewd statements. They all grinned evilly at her, mocked her, and laughed at her, mainly because they knew she was utterly helpless and there was nothing she could do to stop them from messing with her.  
Mindfang’s first mate was the cruelest out of all of the crew members, even disregarding Mindfang herself by stealing from her when she wasn’t looking. He took the liberty as claiming Vriska as his own, he said that he just allowed the other crew members to mess with her. At times he would refer to Vriska as ‘ME Girl,’ ‘ME Little Girl’, ‘ME Piece of Ass’, and other disturbing pet names. He went around doing his best to humiliate the poor girl whenever an opportunity opened up. She was once carrying a container full of soapy water, to clean the deck with, and he thought it would be humorous push her down causing the water to spill all over her, which made her clothes cling to her body and her shiver at the coldness. Most nights he made her sleep with him in his room, being first mate he got his own private room, but it was nothing great, it just gave him a place to be alone with her.   
Then there was Mindfang, the one Vriska despised most of all on the entire ship. That woman, that woman Vriska loved the most in all of Alternia, had twisted, distorted, and broke Vriska’s heart. Mindfang gave Vriska the hardest tasks she could find and when she didn’t do a good enough job that sufficed to the evil Serket‘s expectations, she punished and abused the younger girl. The poor girl doubt she could ever feel trust towards anyone again, not after how her Ancestor destroyed her pride.   
Vriska now felt a dreaded loneliness that left a coldness inside her like none other. She missed her hive with her pet spiders and Nicolas Cage movies. She missed the comfort and safety of her recuperacoon. She missed a smile that wasn’t wicked with twisted meaning behind it, but one that was genuine and heartwarming. She missed the faces and voices of her friends. She probably missed Eridan most of all, surprisingly, although they hated each other at times he was the only one who gave her the time of day, plus he is probably the only one who missed her back.  
Vriska just wanted to get off this terrible ship, she wanted to go to her hive and forget any of this ever happened. She wanted to escape the clutches of Mindfang and mend the wounds she had obtained here. She wanted to return to the place she called home, return to the land where she felt safer. Once there, she knew she had to apologize to all the people she hurt because of her need to impress this terrible woman. Every time she had any of these thoughts, she teared up some, she wasn’t allowed to leave, Mindfang wouldn’t let her.  
Vriska had tried to escape from the web of the dastardly woman who plagued her life, but it was no use. Whenever Mindfang had to dock her ship, for a supply run or to pillage villages and ruin the lives of poor souls, she locked Vriska up in a cell that was used for prisoners. The little Serket had thought about jumping overboard, but those thoughts went away after realizing walking to shore from the middle of the ocean wasn’t the best plan. She had also known the feeling of being over board, and it was not a nice feeling. One of Mindfang’s punishments was to toss Vriska overboard by the horn, the poor girl would cling to the side of the ship with her claws summoning all her strength to climb back aboard deck. Not being provided fresh clothes, she was forced to shiver and freeze, those were not fun times, then again nothing was fun here.  
On board the ship of Hell, Vriska turned to drinking to calm her nerves, and heart ache. Whenever she saw a bottle within reach she would snatch it up, sure that was risky, but thievery was a great talent of hers, so she managed to get drinks without being caught. The hardships Vriska endured pushed her into being an alcoholic, it was the only way she could continue doing any of the horrid tasks she was faced with.  
Along with drinking, Vriska found another way to ease her nerves and heart. Tobacco. Being on a ship, tobacco was a common thing found, due to the fact that Mindfang and her pirates looted a lot of cargo ships that carried common imports and exports, such as tobacco. When she first got her hands on a hand rolled tobacco filled cigarette, which she snagged off the first mate after he fell asleep, she was eager to smoke it. After she finally found herself alone, she put it to her lips and lit it with stolen matches, followed by a deep inhale and a brutal coughing session. That was foul and she wanted to puke but she also wanted to, strangely, smoke more, so she tried it again. After a few more inhales and exhales, the smoke soon filled her lungs smoothly and puffs of smoke gracefully exited her lips. She was soon sneaking the tobacco left and right, rolling her own cigarettes and smoking them to nothing.  
Hope was a fallacy upon this ship because when things appeared to be turning around for the better there would be some wicked bitter omen shattering all pleasant expectations. One day in the middle of the sweep, The Marquise’s ship and some military ship were at battle, and the members of the two ships were boarding each other. Vriska was below deck in a cell, Mindfang had locked her up there for safe keeping, when a military officer ran down into the cell room. Vriska looked at him with pleading eyes, asking for his help and telling him the horrors she had faced. The man took pity on her breaking open the cell and hurrying his way on deck to take her on his ship, so he could get her away from the madness. Just as they got to the plank where the two ships met, a cobalt blue steel sword busted through the man’s chest. Indigo blood from the military man splattered on Vriska as she watched him collapse to his knees, lifeless. Vriska stared at the man’s impaled corpse then up in terror, seeing the cruel grin of Mindfang holding the indigo blood covered sword. The young girl trembled in fear as she was yanked by the horn and tossed back below deck.   
It was far from a pleasant life she currently had, so she learned to adapt with the challenges she was forced to face. She cut her hair to just below her shoulder blades and kept it tied up in a braid so it wasn’t easy for the crew members to grab. Her clothes, which were now composed of knee length dirty blue jean shorts and a short filthy tank top, were constantly getting torn up whether it be from hard work, or the crew members’ harassment so she had to learn how to sew so they wouldn’t get reduced to just tattered rags. She was a thin frail girl who got under fed by Mindfang so she began rationing and hiding her food and even killing some of the rats for substance so she wouldn’t starve out. It wasn’t easy, and there were days where she wanted to give up, but she knew she could push through this, she couldn’t give up on her quest for freedom.  
Today, only a few days after being on the ship for an entire sweep, Vriska was doing one of her usual tasks of scrubbing the deck of the ship. Mindfang strolled out on the deck of the ship and up to her descendent, who sat up at the sound of the scarlet clicking heels. Vriska had a blank emotionless expression on her face as she looked into the heartless eyes of her ancestor. Along with her usual attire today, Mindfang had a large pirate hat on to shield herself from the harmful rays of the sun that were burning Vriska’s younger skin.  
“Heh, me deck 8etter 8e clean,” Mindfang hissed.  
Vriska rolled her eyes and went back to cleaning. With her eyes fixed on the floor and her blistered scrubbing hands she let out a sigh. She wasn’t in the mood for any of this hoof breast shit, then again Vriska never was, but today she was a little more irritable.  
“Yes, Mindfang” she scoffed.  
Mindfang snarled her lip looking down at Vriska, not appreciating the attitude. She kicked Vriska in the chest knocking her on her back so she could look at her face. She pressed her boot on top of one of Vriska’s breasts just to agitate her and make her uncomfortable.  
“One, its Captain. Two, ye fuckin’ look at me when I talk to ye. Three, ye give me that attitude again and I will end ye!” she yelled.   
Vriska coughed gazing up at Mindfang with weak eyes. She grabbed at her boot trying to pull it off her chest, for it hurt terribly. The yelling had attracted the attention of the crew, who were now starting to swarm around the scene like maggots at a corpse.  
“Yes Mi-… Captain…. Yes Captain,” Vriska said with a soft sad sigh.  
Mindfang laughed grabbing Vriska by the horn and hoisting her up off the ground. She began laughing maniacally shaking the young girl as if she were a flimsy rag doll. Vriska hissed in pain as she dangled by her horn, it felt like it was about to snap off from her skull.  
“So pathetic! What happened to that fire girl!? And ye use to think ye could 8e a pir8.…. Ye ain’t shit girl!” Mindfang laughed.   
Vriska’s eye twitched some at those words in aggravation, she was about to snap. She had to hold it in, she had too. She just gazed into Mindfang’s eyes with pity, but not pity for herself, pity for Mindfang. She pitied Mindfang, because she knew no matter what Mindfang did, she would always be a piece of living shit. Mindfang snarled seeing the pity and shook Vriska.  
“What the fuck?! Why ye 8e lookin’ at me like that?! Ye pity me, girl!?” she yells slapping Vriska.   
Vriska balled her fist and snarled, she snapped. Her fist was meeting Mindfang’s jaw within seconds, knocking the sea bitch back making her hat fly off. Vriska fell to the ground, but quickly stood up glaring down at Mindfang with hate. The crew, even Mindfang, were shocked and the ship was dead silent.   
“Fuck. You. Bitch” Vriska said in a cold serious tone spitting on the evil woman.  
Mindfang stood setting her jaw, which was already bruising, back into place. She tackled Vriska to the ground and began beating her senseless, cerulean blood splattering on the deck, along with a few teeth. Mindfang continued to punch Vriska, making her face bloody and bruised. The girl struggled trying to fight back by pulling her hair, and scratching her face with her claws. The whole time the crew was yelling in hollering enjoying the squabble, but that was until Vriska’s body grew limp and her eyes fell shut.   
“Damn it! Captain Stop!” her first mate yelled pulling Mindfang off the bloody girl.  
Mindfang huffed wiping her cerulean covered hands off on her dress. She spit on the motionless girl and snarled. Her first mate grabbed Mindfang by the shoulders and shook her.   
“Captain! What have ye done?! She’s dead!” he yelled.  
“The little 8itch hit me, she deserved it!” she screamed.  
“Yeah I know, but she was our only entertainment! We can’t do anything with a broken corpse…..” he snarled.  
Mindfang pushed him off her and sighed, “I will get ye some new entertainment.”  
She walked over to the body and picked it up by the horns dragging it to the edge of the ship. A trail of cerulean blood followed behind her as she pulled the body along. She snarled tossing it over board, watching it as it splashed into the deep blue before turning to face her crew.   
“Everyone! 8ack to work!” she yelled picking up her hat and walking back below deck.  
Vriska’s eyes jolted open at the feel of cold water, and she thrashed her way to the surface. She gasped resurfacing in a splash of water, the caked blood from her face washing off, leaving only small diluted streams of cerulean from her cuts. She tasted the blood in her mouth and ran her tongue over the sensitive gums where she lost some teeth, at least eight of them, but luckily they would grow back. Her eyes looked around seeing nothing, but blue, and a fading dot of black in the distance, which was Mindfang’s ship.   
Vriska sighed, closing her eyes and stopped wading water letting herself sink into the depths. She couldn’t swim after the ship and there was not a speck of land in sight. She was probably going to die soon enough anyways so why not end it now. Her eyes shot open though, she promised Eridan she was going to see him again, she had to try. Giving up was not the Vriska way. She resurfaced once more and began swimming as best as she could in a random direction. She smiled softly, if she died out in the water, at least she could die a free woman.  
Two days pass and Vriska was exhausted from swimming, and she was on the brink of passing out. Her luck was turning around though, she spotted a floating log just up ahead. The girl clings to it smiling, a log meant nearby land, she thought and with that pleasant thought she passed out with her head on the soggy log and above water.  
When she woke, it was night time, and she wasn’t swaying to the rhythm of the ocean anymore, but instead, her upper torso was laying on soft grainy sand. She was ecstatic and began crawling, dragging her body ashore more so the ocean wouldn’t wash her away. She kept crawling on the shore until her eyes landed on what appeared to be a boot, and she looked up to see an ominous standing over her.  
“Shit…..” she sighed.


	4. Rumble Fish

The figure that stood over her was just a faded blur of violet purple and black, due to the fact she lost her glasses at her time in the ocean. The mysterious troll appeared to be holding a dark blue colored gun at her. She cowered against the sand as the figure reached out for her and lifted her head up by her hair, pointing the gun at her forehead. It growled analyzing her face, moving her head around violently with a yank of the wrist.  
The figure was a man, and not just any man, but the Orphaner Dualscar himself, and he currently wasn’t happy at the moment. What was SHE doing here?! He thought to himself. How dare that BITCH just show up out of nowhere! When he yanked the little Serket’s head around, his expression softened from its hateful anger to curiosity and even concern. This in fact was not the Marquise, but what appeared to be a younger version of her, who had softer features that had yet to be worn and twisted by sweeps of hatred and evilness. He looks over seeing she was pretty battered up, it was obvious she was beaten and this sparked his curiosity. He sighed flinging Ahab’s crosshairs over his shoulder and hoisted the wounded girl up into his muscular arms bridal style, surprised to find she was just skin and bones. As he whisked her away to his ship; Vriska passed out in his arms, still too exhausted to do anything.   
When Vriska’s eyelids finally flew open she found herself with a blanket over her, laying on a padded mat on a wooden floor. She felt that the stinging pain from the wounds on her face were strangely relived. She sat up looking around, with squinted eyes, everything was a blur and it only gave her a headache. One of the blurry figures moved towards her, crouching beside her.  
“I see ye havwe awvaken, so I suppose that is good, but nowv I need to knowv wvho the cod ye are,” the figure said in a cold stern voice.   
Along with his cold tone, there was a hint of something Scottish, if that was a relevant place in Alternia, and he sounded like a not so ridiculously hilarious version of Sean Connery, but the Orphaner Fucking Dualscar had no fucking idea who that was and frankly he wouldn’t give a fuck. Vriska had no idea who was talking to her, but the accent was slightly funny so it lightened her mood some. She squinted her eyes more trying to see who was beside her, she reached out touching his face, her finger tips landing on what felt like a jagged scar. He swatted his hand away lightly, raising his eyebrow in confusion.   
“Oi! Don’t do that! Wvhat be wvrong wvith ye?” he asked grabbing her chin and looking at her face. “Stop squintin’ it be freakin’ me out!”  
“S-sorry, you are just a talking blur to me,” she stated with a soft chuckle, finding this to be slightly amusing, she was also a bit delirious so that would explain her quirky attitude to the stranger.  
He raised an eyebrow, “So ye wvear glasses?”   
She nodded still squinting her eyes, now with slight frustration for her own pathetic blindness. Dualscar stood with a sigh walking over to his desk, and began rummaging through the contents of a drawer. He pulled out some old thin wire frame glasses, after licking his rugged thumb he shined up the lenses some. He walked back over to his battered visitor and slipped the glasses on to her face as gently as he could. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the new spectacles causing her to blink rapidly. She smiled softly looking at, what was hopefully, her savior before tensing up and cowering against the mat feeling almost paralyzed with fear that suddenly struck her heart like a knife.  
“O-Orphaner….. W-what are you going to do to me?” she whimpered shaking slightly.  
The Orphaner frightened her, after what she had experienced with Mindfang, she feared the worst from him. Also being a Serket, she expected him to be malicious towards her due to his hateful throes with her Ancestor. The large sea dweller furrowed his brows squeezing the bridge of his nose in slight irritation, was he that scary appearing? Well, the male did stand at six foot four, dressed in black and violet pin striped pants with fitted sleeveless armor that had a spiked collar attached to long cape with a tattered bottom that hung just above the floor, under his armor was a tight black sweat shirt. He had large thick thunder bolt shaped horns that were a darker yellow compared to a younger troll, and his sea dwelling ear fins were a bit rough having a few holes in them, and they were pierced with multiple earrings made from the finest gold. He had rugged facial features which were surprisingly handsome, when he wasn’t making a menacing or irritated expression, and they were diagonally sliced with two parallel jagged scars that were tinted a mix of a dark grey and violet hue. His hair was black like any other trolls, with the exception of a few silver hairs peppering through it here and there, and he had a large streak of violet going through it, unlike just a patch which Eridan had. The man was obviously well built and quite muscular in his anatomy, yet he was also slim, due to his sea dwelling nature, so he didn’t appear to be an overly meaty man. All Vriska knew was he was far bigger than his much littler descendent, and way more aggressive from what she had read and heard.  
He stood looking over the cowering form before him, and let out a low agitated guttural growl causing the gills that lined the sides of his neck to flare out exposing the violet frilled slits that were hidden under the protective skin. He didn’t mean to scare the poor girl like this, well not entirely, he did want to strike slight fear, but he needed her to give the information he needed so his curiosity could be put to ease. He narrowed his eyes, Serkets shouldn’t cower like this, it was disgraceful to the linage of trolls that made grown men quiver in their boots with fear. Maybe she wasn’t a Serket at all, he thought to himself before dismissing that idea when at he looked at her horns once more. She had to be a Serket, no one but Serkets had horns like that. He sighed, knowing he needed to calm the poor girl, he could tell she went to hell and back, and he wasn’t a total jack ass to just treat her with a cold heartless demeanor.  
“Look calm dowvn, I ain’t gonna do anythin’ to ye, wvell not until I find out wvho ye are. Just try to relax. I am just goin’ to talk to ye, okay? Ye look like shit, wvell not as bad as I found ye, but still pretty shitty, and I knowv the ocean didn’t inflect that kinda damage,” he stated crossing his arms.  
“Yeah but you are the Orphaner Dualscar, you aren’t exactly… a merciful man,” she replied avoiding direct eye contact with him.  
He sighed walking over to his desk once more, picking up a bowl of soup from it. Once beside her again he crouched down carefully handing it to her. She looked at him nervously cupping the bowl with both hands before looking down at the contents. It was a thick brown slosh that looked a lot like gravy and she could feel lukewarm heat radiating through the bowl. She put the bowl to her lips and cautiously took a sip of the slosh, surprisingly, it was good. She closed her eyes continuing to drink it, a few tears rolled down her cheeks her eyes still tightly shut. She hadn’t tasted anything slightly good in a sweep, and she was starving.  
“I had this ready for ye, for wvhen ye wvoke,” He took a seat by the mat watching the tears leak from her eyes, “So wvhat happened to ye?”  
She slowly removed the bowl from her lips and her eyes slowly opened. There was a cold look of pure fear full hatred, a look that made even the Orphaner get an odd chill down his spine, which never happened to him. That was not the look of a young girl, this was a look that he had only seen once in the eyes of a vicious creature who was on the brink of death and had nothing left to lose, the creature that maimed him. He grew quite concerned, what happened to this girl? The look flashed out of her eyes and her expression turned into a depressing sadness.  
“I left my life I had, seeking out a life that I learned never existed. I was forced into cruel conditions on a ship that showed no kindness. I was made a toy by a crew of depraved disgusting men and I was only shown the worst of treatment,” she sighed.   
He furrowed his brows listening to her, “Wvell I see ye are a Serket…. If ye wvere stuck on some ship, I am surprised ole’ Fang didn’t find ye….”  
She looked at him with cold eyes, “Mindfang was the Captain of that ship…. She did this.”  
He looked at her shocked, which no one had ever made him feel. He knew Mindfang was a cold woman with an evil soul, but he had never expected that woman to hurt her own descendent. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath, if what she was saying was true he really needed to rethink his quadrant with that woman.  
“This…. This is hard to believe. Fuck, I mean that fuckin’ ‘Grand Highblood’ is kind to his owvn kin….. I knowv Mindfang is cruel but she isn’t that cruel….. Right?” he asked looking into Vriska’s eyes.  
She nodded, “She laughed in my face after I told her… that her first mate raped me.”  
His eyes widened, he could tell she was telling the truth from the unfaltering look in her eyes. He sighed running his hand through his hair once more making a few strands fall in his face. This was hard for him to take in, sure Mindfang was his kismesis but as taboo as it was for him to admit he had residual red feelings for that woman. As much as he enjoyed what he had for Mindfang, he didn’t want to be with someone who let such a young girl, who was her descendent none the less, get hurt by her own cruel hand, and then mock her for it. What he thought was an honorable woman, was just a lie, and that hurt him some.  
“Fuck, I am sorry ye wvent though that, ye must really hate her, and not in the good wvay,” he stated.   
She only replied with a nod her eyes remaining in a cold somber state.  
“So howv exactly did ye end out in the ocean?” he asked with a sighing through his gills causing them and his fins to flare out.  
“She tossed me over after bashing my face in,” she replied.  
“Damn, I sawv yer wvounds, that’s wvhat made me take ye in. I knewv ye wveren’t some seafarer sent a drift. I also needed to see that ye wveren’t a threat, and it is apparent yer not,” he stated.   
Dualscar stood up taking the soup from her hands and setting it off to the side, he then lightly grasped both of her hands making her rise to her feet. Her hands were so small compared to his larger ones, his fingers and wrists were cladded in beautiful gold and jewels along with small jagged scars from battles and fights that marked his flesh. He gave her a charming smile and put a hand on her back leading her into a room, it was a bathroom with a shower. Vriska’s heart almost exploded with joy at the sight.  
“The wvater is cold, but it is better than nothin’ and there is a robe ye can put on wvhen ye be done. Ye look miserable in those disgustin’ rags. I wvill …uh…wvill let ye be nowv. I wvill be at my desk if ye need anythin’,” he stated before walking back into his room closing the bathroom door to let her have her privacy.  
He sat down at the large chair in front of his map covered desk with a tired groan. Damn, she looked a lot like Mindfang, and that concerned him honestly, what if she was a twisted mind game deceiver like that awful woman. He wasn’t sure if he should be trusting this girl, but then again why would she lie about that. Once again he ran his hand through his hair, this was a common thing he did when he was stressed or worried. He shook his he head and began writing in his Captain’s log, but that only lasted a brief moment. He couldn’t help but stare at that bathroom door.  
Hell, Vriska was ecstatic to feel that cold fresh water run down her bruised supple nude form. It was the first actual bathing she had had in a sweep, and it felt incredible causing her to purr loudly. All the sweat, salt, and blood washed off her body leaving her feeling refreshed. The cold water was making her shiver like crazy though, but being clean was worth the cold. After nearly an hour of washing she soon stepped out of the shower looking at her old discarded clothes in a pile on the floor. She crouched down and dug her hand around in her pants pulling out Mindfang’s journal. She kept it in the back of her pants to keep sweat from rolling down into her butt crack when she was doing hard manual labor, as disgusting as that was, the feeling of sticky sweat was much more irritable. She sighed looking at that journal, the pages were all wavy and shriveled from being soaked in water. Once she dressed in Dualscar’s fine silk robe, she tucked the journal into the top half between her breasts, she would hold onto this a little longer. She combed her fingers through her hair making it to where it was not so tangled before she stepped out into Dualscar’s room.  
“Better?” he asked.  
“Y-yeah…” she said with chattering teeth.  
“Here,” he got up and threw a blanket at her.   
“Th-thanks,” she stated wrapping herself tightly in it.  
Vriska looked around his room, now actually having time to analyze it, it was actually quite nice and fancy. He had a large wardrobe off in the corner, by the door that lead out into the hall. His desk was on an adjacent wall, where the door to his private bathroom was. One of the walls was a giant bookshelf filled with a countless number of books, scrolls and maps. Another one of the walls was just a giant bay window, which looked out at the sea, she was able to tell his room was in the back of the ship from the large wake that was in view when gazing at the sea. The floor had a large furry lusus skin rug of some sort that laid out on the floor by the foot of a large human bed. She furrowed her brows at the bed.  
“You like human culture?” she asked looking over at him.   
“No, not really but I do like howv they make them sleepin’ devices. I had one specialty made for me, I lovwe the comfort,” he chuckled scratching behind one of his fins.  
“I’ve met a few humans through the internet… They are strange creatures…” she stated  
“So. Lass, I don’t exactly like havwin’ guests on me ship…. I am not makin’ port for a long time and I can’t havwe ye just layin’ around like a bum and wvastin’ space. I wvill allowv ye to stay only on the condition ye wvork on me ship, and if ye do that, I wvill respect ye as a member on me crewv….” he stated looking down at her with serious eyes.   
“I….. I owe you my life…. So I guess I can work on your ship until you make port, then I will go my own way from there,” she said with a soft yet cautious tone.   
“Okay, but if there is any funny business I wvon‘t hesitate to throw ye overboard and let ye join the ocean once more. Unlike Mindfang, I don’t play games, understood?” he said remaining his stern composure.   
“Yes…” she muttered nervously.   
He smirked walking up to her putting a hand on his shoulder, his other hand grabbing her chin making her look into his eyes. “I knowv she and her crewv hurt ye, but as long as ye respect me and me ship, I wvill make sure no harm comes to ye. If wvhat ye say wvhat ye havwe been through is true, I say ye havwe been through enough.”  
“Thanks,” she replied her eyes shifting to the floor before looking at him with a soft smile.   
He smiled back, “Wvelcome to me crewv, Ms. Serket.”  
“Please …. Call me Vriska,” she whimpered.  
“Vwriska….. I like that name…” he replied patting her shoulder.  
She smiled slightly, “Thank you, Captain.”


	5. Outcast

Dualscar smiled at his new crew member before allowing her to rest, he figured she needed it for now; the less she did today the more she could do tomorrow. When she was asleep he brought in the ship’s doctor to treat her wounds with proper medicine, the doctor was shocked at the sight of the woman, but was not going to risk angering his Captain by bombarding him with questions. The doctor was a thin timid man, Dualscar had acquired by fishing him out of the ocean after blowing up the ship he had been staying on. He spent most of his days in the infirmary not wishing to deal with any of the other crew members, unless they were bleeding to death, then he would deal with them. The doctor looked over the sleeping girl applying high quality medicines to the cuts on her face, after a few moments he was done.  
“There they should heal in no time and won’t leave scars…” the doctor stated looking at his Captain.  
Dualscar nodded remaining in a stern appearance so his crew member knew his place and not to trouble him about the Serket girl he had obtained. The doctor was very curious about the girl though, he knew the Captain hated the Serkets do to his black throes with Mindfang so he and the crew learned to despise them as well. Seeing his Captain caring for one, treating her with the finer medicine, letting her sleep in his rope and use his shower, made him concerned. He had to know what was going on, was the rivalry between Mindfang and Dualscar over? He bit his lip, he knew he would be disrespecting the Captain’s unspoken orders to remain quiet regarding his little guest, but he had to know.  
“Captain?” the doctor said in a soft spoken timid tone.  
Dualscar darted him a cold glare, “Aye?”  
“W-who is she?…..” the doctor whispered softly.   
Dualscar narrowed his eyes in a menacing nature before giving a sly sharked tooth grin. “She be yer newv crewv mate….” His eyes then darkened in a serious manner. “Ye best not be tellin’ anyone, or ye wvill be dealin’ with me wvrath and I don’t think ye wvant that. I wvill be discussin’ rules regardin’ her joinin’ us once she is able bodied.”   
“Y-yes. Of course, Captain,” the doctor said with a small nod.  
The Orphaner looked at his medical companion, “Tell the first mate to remain on course to the next lusii breedin’ ground, if any issues may occur then I wvant ye and only ye to come delivwer them to me. Tell him and the others that he wvill remain in charge wvhile I deal wvith a task in me quarters. Am I understood?”  
“Yes Captain!”   
“Good, I be trustin’ ye to followv me orders, if ye disregard any of em’ that wvill be direct vwiolation of wvhat I’vwe asked and again, punishment wvill be bestowved upon ye, understood?”   
“Yes Captain!” the doctor yelled with slight nervousness.   
Dualscar nodded and waved the doctor off as he faced the little Serket. The doctor quickly slipped out the door and ran off to tell the crew of his Captain’s orders. The Orphaner walked up to the smaller girl brushing some hair out of her face, she was really pretty, even prettier than Mindfang. He grits his teeth, he felt really awkward and a bit creepy standing over her, staring at her. He turned away and sighed sitting at his desk; he felt this girl was going to be trouble for him. He couldn’t dwell on that though, he was a man of his word and he promised he would take care of her… even if she was the blood of Mindfang.  
Vriska woke up a day later, sitting up from the mat stretching out her limbs with a loud yawn. She felt better than ever, she felt like she could conquer the world. She ran her tongue over the places where she had lost some teeth and felt the little boney spikes poking through the sensitive gums as they grew back. Her eyes rested upon Dualscar who was at his desk, drinking some amber liquid from an unmarked bottle. The sight of what she most definitely knew what was alcohol made her mouth water with desire for just a taste. She stood up her joints popping, which made a similar sound to that of someone playing with bubble wrap, and she cautiously walked towards him.   
“Hello Captain Dualscar,” she said with soft joy in her voice as she got a faint smell of the drink.   
“Aye Vwriska, good to see ye be rested,” he replied giving her a slight smile.  
“Um….. So what are you drinking?” she says as she takes a sniff from over his shoulder to get a better smell. “Ohhh is that pyrat rum?” she asked with a joyful smile.  
He nodded, “Ye…. Ye can just tell from a wvaft…” his voice was a bit surprised that the tinier girl knew the smell of the specific drink. “So I take it ye like rum?” he asked chuckling some.  
She nodded smiling wide, “I love it! Then again I like most poisons.”  
He started laughing, “Ye and I are goin’ to get along wvell.”   
She wanted a taste so she took a chance in asking, “Can…. Can I have some of it?”   
He raised an eyebrow his mouth gaping some about to say something to her before just handing the bottle over. He was planning on giving her a few choice words, his crew knew to NEVER ask Dualscar for his rum or liquor in general unless they wanted to deal with a ringed back hand across the face. Nobody touched that man’s rum, it was suicide. The Orphaner wasn’t putting his crew through some kind of prohibition though, if he did that he wouldn’t have a crew. He just gave the crew bootleg booze, unlike the finer things he kept for himself. This girl knew not of his drinking ways so he felt it would be a bit rude to chastise her for something she had no idea about, plus if he gave her a pleasantry of rum maybe she would be less likely to turn on him, if backstabbing be her true intentions.  
Vriska’s eyes widened as she was handed the bottle of rum, both hands eagerly wrapping around the glass. She put it to her lips taking a quick small sip even though she wanted to down the bottle, but she assumed that would be taking advantage of his kindness. She enjoyed the burn in her throat and that tingly sensation left on her taste buds as the amber drink washed through it. She smiled handing the bottle back to him, who was watching her indulge in the pleasure one small sip gave her, it took a whole bottle to do that to him. His large hand took hold of the bottle and set it down on his desk, he would finish it off in a minute.  
“Howv exactly did ye get to drink if ye wvere a prisoner on Mindfang’s ship like ye said? I knowv for sure that wvoman doesn’t share her liquor,” he stated giving a stern look in her eyes to detect any lies that might spill from her lips.  
Her eyes shifted side to side followed by a nervous chuckle, “Oh …. Well… you see … I kinda….stole from the galley…. A lot…”  
He couldn’t help but chuckle at that, “Ye…. Ye stole from ole’ Fang? And ye didn’t get caught?”  
“Well …. I am not stupid… I know how to steal things without being caught…. Whenever I needed to dispose of the bottles.... I would plant them on some old drunkard who passed out…. Let them take the heat.”   
“Damn, ye a ballsy one…. Ye must got a death wvish… not evwen the bravwest men would steal from Fang,” he said with a grin.  
She sighs, “Some days I would rather be dead than spend another day on that ship.”  
Dualscar nods in understanding grabbing the bottle off his desk and took a big swig from it. He swished the drink in his mouth before swallowing it down. With that he put the bottle to his mouth once more and downed the rest of the drink, his nose scrunching at the burning sensation, which surprisingly he wasn’t use to given his drinking habits. He looked at the girl giving her a comforting, or what he assumed was a comforting smile, he was never good at coaxing others.  
“So howv ye feelin’ today? Any better?” he asked dropping the empty bottle in a waste bin under his desk.  
She smiles at him giving a quick abrupt nod, “Yes Captain. I feel a lot better. Thank you.”  
He nods standing up, “I suppose ye can get to wvork today then.”  
“Yeah I am well enough for some work,” she replied.  
“Ye need an outfit change though…. That robe isn’t proper sea faring attire…. And it is a bit flimsy…. Ye might givwe the crewv some ideas wvearin’ that,” he darkly chuckled grinning at her, his hand on his chin.  
“O-oh….” she whimpered her eyes looking at the floor.  
Dualscar’s grin faded into a concerned look, realizing the terrible inconsiderate joke he just made. He walked up to the sad girl putting a hand on her chin lifting it up to look into her eyes. His thumb ran across her cheek in an attempt to be a soothing action. Vriska didn’t want to suffer that again, she had been through enough already. Dualscar sighed giving her a sympathetic look.  
“Vwriska, I swvear that I wvon’t let anythin’ bad happen to ye. I givwe ye my wvord as a Captain and if I see or hear anythin’ that is unacceptable I wvill take care of it… And if any one of the crewv do anythin’ that makes ye feel uncomfortable in any wvay, tell me. I wvill end it and make an example for the others,” he said in a stern tone.  
“W-what if you aren’t around…. And something really bad happens?” she asked in a soft whimper.  
“I wvill kill wvhoevwer did it, I don’t accept that kinda behavwior on me ship. Then I wvill do wvhatevwer I can do to console ye…. But as far as I knowv evwerythin’ wvill be okay…. Ye got to trust me for nowv…” he replied.   
Vriska nods sighing as her eyes shifted to the floor looking at her bruised feet. He lets out a loud breath, his fins dropping slightly, before releasing her chin and walking over to his large wardrobe. He opens up the two wooden doors, making them creak as they were pulled out. He crouches down in front of the wardrobe and reaches in pulling out a large chest, blackened with age. Vriska walks over to him and looks over his shoulder, pondering the countless possibilities it might hold inside.  
“What’s in there?” she asked.  
“History,” he answered simply as he open it up.  
He pulled an outfit out of the chest, specifically, Mindfang’s from back in the days when age hadn’t taken its toll. It was a black armored dress with some blue coloring in it, the distinctive scarlet boots were there as well. It certainly looked like it would fit her, after all he did get them around the time Mindfang was about her age. He didn’t care to offer an explanation to why he had them, since it was obvious given their past.  
Vriska was slightly disgusted that she was going to have to wear that bitch’s old clothes, but she didn’t show any signs of it, she knew she didn’t have the right to complain. Instead she just decided to be grateful, after all he was treating her better than Mindfang ever did, and she didn’t even give her another outfit once hers were becoming rags. She took the outfit and boots from his hands, her eyes hatefully gazing over them.   
She looked up at him giving him a smile. “Thank you Captain. Where shall I change?”  
Dualscar snorted, his fins flaring, “Don’t thank me…. That thing is bloody gaudy…. I am sorry ye got to wvear it but I don’t exactly keep ladies clothes lyin’ around on me ship. That should be better than nothing’ though, it is armored so it wvill provwide protection and it’s light wveight so it wvill be easy to wvork in…. As for changin’ just use me bathroom.”   
She nods making her way into the bathroom closing the door behind her. She stripped out of the robe, having the sea bitch’s journal fall once the fabric released her breasts. She picked it up with a sigh, her nails digging into the cover; she would hold on to it a bit longer, she wasn’t ready to throw it away. She didn’t know why she wanted to keep it for a little while, she just couldn’t let it go. She changed into the awful outfit, tucking the journal back into the spot between her breasts. She analyzed how she looked in a mirror, well the clothes did fit like a glove and she didn’t look half bad, she probably pulled it off better than Mindfang herself. She then sighed looking at her slightly bruised face which was beginning to heal up, her full plump lips were just a classic pale black and her eyes were dim with dark circles, she missed her makeup.   
Dualscar put the chest back into his wardrobe shutting the doors once it was in. Vriska stepped out of the bathroom, causing Dualscar to nearly jump out of his skin at the sight of her. It would take him a while before the voice and now the look didn’t remind him of Mindfang. It was like seeing into the past, and he wouldn’t be the only one to think so. He turned exiting the Captain’s quarters, his boots pounding on the wooden floor as he made his way to the helm of the ship.   
“Come on,” he yelled.  
She quickly followed after him, making her way up on deck behind him. A hush fell over the once rambling crew as Vriska strode out to join Dualscar’s side. The doppelgängerly resemblance fooled them into thinking she was in fact the Marquise, this caused some of them to physically turn pale in fear. Dualscar wasn’t exactly happy to see the fear just one little girl struck into the hearts of grown men, but on the bright side he had their full attention. Dualscar then smirked getting an idea, he could use this to his to his advantage to make his crew more efficient.  
“Men! Blackguards! Knavwes! Scoundrels! Ye must havwe all noted by nowv wve havwe a lovwely guest aboard, as a matter a fact she is our newv crewv member. Ye may havwe noticed that our newv member is of a ….. Feminine nature…”   
He didn’t care for the use of the word woman because that would make Vriska seem different or lesser from the men. He wanted all of his crew to be the same, making them disregard anything that made them think Vriska was weaker. He paced the helm of the ship as he spoke, his powerful voice easily echoing over the silent crew, who were having riveting looks between the two, Vriska and Dualscar.   
“Though she is not the Marquise Spinneret Mindfang, this happens to be her descendant, Vwriska... And as such I am instatin’ twvo newv lawvs. ONE! YE KEEP YER LECHEROUS SCURVWY RIDDEN HANDS OFF OF HER! Not only wvill I punish ye, I wvill allowv her to imagine some sort of punishment for ye as wvell. TWO! Until I say otherwvise, all orders she givwes are of me spoken consent, as such respect her as ye wvould meself. Nowv get those stupid looks off yer faces and get movwin’! Wve havwe a ship to sail!” He barked.  
In unison the crew yelled out, “Aye! Aye! Captain!”  
He watched as they all scurried off like rats to find their positions and jobs. He figured they would give her a wide berth of space for now, while Vriska gets acquainted with the ship. He turned to his new crew member grinning some with a cocky attitude, he loved being a Captain.  
“Vwriska,” he only spoke low enough for their ears to hear. “The bowv sail has yet to be lowvered, take care of it. Once ye finish there, personally check to see if the cannons are tied dowvn. I am…. Trustin’ ye wvith a big position. Do not disappoint me, I got a lot of faith in ye,” he stated.   
“Yes Captain, I can do it, you can trust me,” she replied.   
She had a smile on her face; this is what she wanted from Mindfang’s ship. Dualscar took hold of the wheel and made a circular motion with his hand turning the ship. He stared out at the horizon keeping his eyes locked on it. Vriska turned from him and went off to do as asked, she wouldn’t fail him.   
“Vwriska!” he called out for her.  
“Yes Captain?” she called out quickly running back to him.  
“Glad ye joined me crewv…. Ye wvill make a great seafarer, or as ye desire… a pirate,” he said a smile crossing his face his eyes still fixed on the horizon.   
That… that made her feel warm inside, a feeling that she didn‘t know existed in her, even before Mindfang took a toll on her life. Sure, he wasn’t Mindfang, but it meant a lot to her that he said that, it meant even more he actually thought that of her. She smiled wide running off to do her tasks; she wanted to show him that those words were true.


	6. Valley Girl

A small ceremony of mourning took place for the unfortunate fall of his kismesis. Eridan Ampora, didn’t want to believe it, he thought Vriska would of made it out at sea, but he soon was aware of her possible demise when he found her rugged tattered back pack washed ashore not far from his hive. Mindfang had tossed the thing when she dumped Vriska overboard, but Eridan thought she was consumed by the sea and all that was left was the bag. She had to be dead, he would have been contacted by her by now, and she promised him she would have kept in touch.   
Eridan managed to put together a ceremony in her memory; he missed her and needed to feel like he wasn’t the only one who felt such a way. He also felt like she didn’t deserve to just be forgotten entirely. He wasn’t doing so well after dealing with the thought of Vriska’s death, so his dancestor, Cronus, moved in with him to help him cope. If only Eridan knew that Vriska was alive and well, and actually a little happy.  
Vriska lowered the bow sail like asked and got to the task of tying the cargo and cannons down. Dualscar watched the girl work like a true member of his vessel out of the corner of his eyes. He smirked slyly to himself as he watched all of his crew work like a well-oiled machine. His first mate strode over to Dualscar’s side with a cocky smile.   
“Hello Captain,” he hummed.  
“Oi, howv ye be?” Dualscar grunted his eyes shifting over to his crew member.  
“Oh good enough. So I see I have been replaced by a Serket,” he chuckled.  
“No, she is just there to keep the men in check, ye knowv?” the Orphaner said with a soft smirk.  
“So…. Tell me…. Where did you get her? Did Mindfang give her to you or did you just find her?” the first mate questioned.  
Being the first mate he was less likely to suffer Dualscar’s anger so that gave him more liberty to do things other crew members would get in trouble for, such as interrogate him about the new feminine guest. The first mate was a suave yet gentle man who had no ill intentions or a bad fiber in his body. He was once a soldier for the empress, but after war took toll on his emotions he resigned before being assigned with Dualscar to hunt lusii. He had known Dualscar for many sweeps now and developed a strong bond with the man, so he saw him more as a friend than a superior.  
“I found her,” he muttered.  
“And why keep her? Needed a cabin girl …. Or a platform warmer?” he chuckled with a raised eyebrow.   
Dualscar’s eyes widened and he shook his head frantically, “Cod No!… She is just a crewv member!”  
“Well a platform warmer would explain why you won’t let the men touch her; you want her all for yourself…. Besides I know you wouldn’t let she, a Serket, be a crew member on your ship…. So what is the deal?” the first mate asked raising his eyebrows.  
“I just let her be a crewv member, okay?” he grunted.  
“Look Captain, I am not judging you if she is a platform warmer. I mean, you are a hardworking man, and Mindfang is never around you often, so I can see why you would take liking into a younger curvier version to bed down with,” he chuckled with a cocky smirk.  
“I am not pailin’ her…. Look… she’s been through ….. A lot… I took pity on her…” he sighed.  
“Oh I see….. So you are a softy?” he teased.  
Dualscar shot him a glare and snarled, “Hold yer tongue if ye wvant to keep it…”  
“Sheesh…. You know I am kidding… don’t get your violet panties in a knot… so where did you get her really?” he asked picking at his claws.  
“Last port as wve wvere packin’ up… Remember wvhen I wvent on a wvalk… Wvell I found her half dead on the shore. Instead of leavwin’ her I took her. I wvanted to knowv her story… She has been betrayed by her owvn blood,” he replied.  
“And you trust her?” the first mate asked leaning against the ship’s railing.   
“Wvell, she is just one girl. If she is plannin’ somethin’ I can handle her,” he sighed.  
“What happened to her, exactly?”   
“Mindfang, to put it simply. Her crewv did things to Vwriska, and the wvoman didn‘t evwen care…. That’s wvhy I am serious about the crewv knowvin’ their boundaries…. Sure she is a Serket, but no one deservwes that,” he sighs.  
“I know,” he puts a hand on Dualscar’s shoulder. “She doesn’t seem so bad. She is working pretty fast.”  
“Aye, keep an eye on her. Just make sure the men knowv their places around her. I promised her I wvouldn’t let them harm her in any wvay…. I am a man of my wvord,” he mutters.  
“You can count on me,” the first mate replies with a smirk.  
Dualscar nods dismissing the first mate to continue his own tasks and turns his attention back to Vriska. After a few hours once in calm waters, the crew was sent off to the galley to eat lunch and have a break from work. Vriska lagged behind the crowd of rowdy men; she wanted her distance from the rest of the crew. She made her way below deck, into the galley looking around at the tables filled with seated men, yelling and laughing about who knows what. She noticed one table that had only one man seated at it, it was the doctor. He had a small cup of tea in his hands but nothing more, unlike the other crew members who were gorging on some sort of meat. Vriska walked over to the table, seating across from the doctor who gave her a small glare, but nothing more.  
Vriska kept her head down, not daring to spark up a conversation with the quiet doctor. She put her hands on the table, twiddling her thumbs round about each other, she felt awkward here. She glanced around looking at all the men grouped together at the tables having their own conversations with one another much like cliques at a wriggler school. Dualscar was at the head of the Captain’s table, which was much nicer shown by the silk table cloth and velvet padded chairs; his loyals where sitting with him, his first mate was sitting by his side. She looked back at the doctor; he must be the recluse of the crew, she thought. A plate with meat and some vegetables was thrown down in front of Vriska which made her jump some. She looked up to see a jolly chef with a wide greeting smile.  
“I got ye some vegetables along with yer meat, thought ye might like it,” he chuckled.   
“O-oh thank you,” she replied with a nervous smile.  
He grinned, “It’s no trouble. Anything for a lovely lady like yeself. Got to stay nourished so ye can keep up with all the men!”  
“Can you be quiet?” The doctor grunted.  
“Oh sorry,” Vriska muttered keeping her head down.  
“Ah shuddup! Ye and yer fuckin’ herbal teas. Ye need to eat somethin’ other than fuckin’ grass. Ye are pathetic, I can’t believe the Captain puts up with yer ass,” the chef snarled.  
Vriska didn‘t like this so she decided to speak up. “Hey stop….. I don’t know what the issue is, but…. He is a crew member and like it or not you two are stuck with each other.”  
The chef growled, “I suppose ye be right but watch out for this one, Lass. He’s weird.”  
With that the chef walked off to make sure everyone else had a plate of food. The doctor glared at Vriska narrowing his eyes at her, she just gave a puzzled expression. He took his tea and stood up looking down at her with disgust.  
“I don’t need you to fight my battles, Serket. Mind your own business,” the doctor hissed walking off to retreat to his office in the infirmary.   
Vriska sighs not sure what exactly she did wrong and looks down at her plate of food. She grabs a fork and began eating some of the meat, she wasn’t sure what it was but it was good. Two crew members broke off from one of the cliques at the table and took a seat on either side of Vriska. She tensed up and kept her eyes fixated on her food so she didn’t have to look at them.  
“Ye are much prettier than that wicked bitch, Mindfang,” one of them chuckled.   
“Aye, ye are going to have to know how to handle yer men if ye want to be successful on this ship,” the other snickered.  
Dualscar noticed this and nudged his elbow at his first mate shifting his eyes from him to Vriska’s table. The first mate stands with a nod and struts over to the damsel in distress. He plops down across from Vriska and eyes the two men, tapping his claws on the table.  
“Ahem…. Is there an issue with our lovely crew member here,” the first mate enquired.   
“Uh, …no… nothing is wrong,” one of the men grunted.  
The first mate began to speak in a suave tone. “Then I suggest you leave her be. She needs to take time to warm up to you guys and bugging her isn’t going to increase that process any faster…. You two know what it is like to be new on the ship, it’s nerve racking isn‘t it? Hell, didn’t one of you piss your pants the first day, and everyone laughed at you, even gave The Orphaner a good laugh. Now you don’t want to put her through the same stress, and you know if you make her uncomfortable in anyway the Captain will stick his steel toed boot so far up your ass you will be able to taste what he has been stepping on. So, again, I suggest, so everyone is happy, you two retreat back to your table and go back to trading penny pail books with your fellow comrades. Sound good?”   
The two men where flustered and embarrassed quickly retreating back to their group. The first mate watched their awkward demeanor with an amused smirk on his face. He turned his attention back to Vriska and gave her a sweet smile.  
“Sorry about them,” the first mate stated.  
“It’s fine…. Thanks for that,” she replied.  
“Ah it is no trouble. They weren’t actually going to take any inappropriate action, just so you know. I know them and they are good men for the most part, other than being a little crude. They were just flirting, men just can be stupid sometimes, and say shit that isn’t exactly wriggler friendly. You can’t be too upset about it, boys will be boys and they just don’t know how to behave around a beautiful lass like yourself. They wouldn’t do anything to hurt you though because of Captain‘s orders, as far as I know. It has been awhile since they have seen a girl, our last stop was just a quick supply grab so they didn’t get to spend time with any women so a lot of the men will try and sweet talk you into bedding them, but they wouldn’t force themselves on you. Most of them men here are either run aways, cast aways, or former soldiers, and they all respect the Captain. Just if anyone makes you feel not safe or if they touch you and it doesn’t feel right, even if it isn’t a non-threatening way just tell me or Dualscar. Issues will get resolved, so no worries there. “  
“Thanks,” she replies with a smile.  
“Again, no problem. We are crew after all, we all need to look out for each other,” he says with a friendly smile that never seemed to fade.  
“Not everyone thinks that apparently,” she sighs.  
“Talking about the Doctor, aye? He is… an odd ball, there are quite a few of those here. I am not sure what his axe is to grind with everyone but he likes keeping to himself. Sorry if he upset you,” he huffs.  
“I guess it’s fine,” she says stuffing a fork full of vegetables into her mouth.   
“Well if you want I can keep you company so you don’t have to sit alone. Plus having me here will ward off any crew from flirting with you.”  
“Sure,” she smiled.  
After an hour the men were released from the galley to get back to work, minus a few who stayed behind to help the chef clean. Vriska stood up and began walking up on deck with the first mate. He was friendly to her, and she enjoyed his company, it was nice having a kind person around. Up on deck, Vriska realized that she wasn’t exactly sure what to do, the first mate noticed this.  
“Go to Dualscar, he will give you some work,” he stated.  
“Okay, sounds good, thanks,” she replies.   
“No problem, if you ever need any instruction just ask him, and if he isn’t in command then I will be. I am the first mate.” He hears someone call for him. “Sorry, wish I could keep chatting, but I got to go…. Good luck.”   
Vriska watches him run off and frowns to herself…. First mate…. She was only haunted by thoughts of Mindfang’s first mate at the sound of that title. It was surprising to see how different those two men were though, Mindfang’s was a cruel greedy pervert, but Dualscar’s was kind, caring, and charming. She sighs and walks to the helm of the ship joining Dualscar’s side.   
“Is there anything I can do, Captain?” Vriska asked.  
“I suppose ye can man the helm…. It is easy enough,” he says offering the wheel.  
Vriska smiled as she moved into Dualscar’s spot and took the wheel, her hands clasping the wooden surface. Dualscar decided to walk his ship making sure everything was tidy and in order. He prowled the deck, checking the ropes, riggings, and sails aboard; making sure everything was where it was supposed to be. He tightened a few ropes until he was finally satisfied with them. Vriska gazed out at the bright blue seas as she had the wheel under her control. She smiled feeling a new found freedom wash over her. After some time, Dualscar returned to the helm of the ship.  
“Howv’s she feel, Vwriska?” he asked, she meaning the ship.  
“The ship is riding smoothly, Captain,” she smiles. “Do you want control again?” she asked taking one hand off the wheel.  
“Not at the moment, ye seem to be able to handle it wvell enough.”   
He rested against the railing, watching as the water down below pass by them. She smiled as she continued to have control over the wheel of the ship, it was nice to have some sort of power, like that of controlling a massive ship. She watched the water in the distance, admiring its beauty as her hair blew around in the breeze. She forgot how much she loved having her hair down, it had been so long since she felt the wind in it.  
“So howv do ye knowv howv to handle a ship? Mindfang teach ye?” He asked, since he didn’t know her past or how lacking Mindfang’s mothering could be.  
“No. Mindfang didn’t really teach me anything. She just made me do stuff like cleaning, so I mean I learned the ins and outs of a ship that way but I taught myself to sail. When I was little I use to steal ships and go on joy rides. I always wanted to be a pirate, I just loved the ocean and its riches,” she says with a somber chuckle.  
“Hmmm. Wvell at least ye gavwe me somethin’ to wvork wvith,” he says with a soft smile.  
He pulled a pipe from his pocket and filled it up with some tobacco before lighting it. Vriska smelled the smoke of the burning tobacco and she soon began to crave the taste. Her eyes shifted from the pipe to sea, growing anxious for a deep inhale.   
“Captain, this is an odd request, but may I please have a drag of that?” she asked.  
He looked over at her smoke billowing around him for a second before he winds snatched it away never to be seen again. It was an odd request but hardly enough to deny so he offered the pipe her way. She took the pipe to her lips and took a deep inhale, blowing out some smoke circles after she handed the pipe back over. She was so young; it made him a bit sad to see she already had an ill habit of smoking.   
“Thank you Captain, I just needed a smoke of that,” Vriska chuckles.   
“For future reference I suggest you carvwe yer owvn pipe or get one at port wvhen ye get the chance so ye don’t havwe to bum other people’s,” he replied continuing with his own smoke.  
“I know, I am sorry for using yours,” she sighs becoming in a quiet state.  
He could see thoughts of Mindfang still haunted her and he grew sympathetic for her. Every move Vriska made mirrored that of the monster who tortured her, and he began to wonder if the poor girl could ever truly be free from that woman’s web. The young Serket was now in a melancholy sort of state now as she continued her control of the ship. He was a bit bothered about how quiet she was, Mindfang always kept a steady stream of conversation, even if it was mainly about topics that just concerned herself. Maybe that was what the problem was with Vriska; she had been over talked too much until she just wasn’t heard. She was staring at the sea in a neutral state as the sea breeze blew her hair making it flutter about.  
He blew smoke up into the air as he began whistling A Pirate’s Life For Me to himself. She heard him whistle that song and couldn’t help, but sing along with his whistling. She loved that song; it brought her peace at mind. The both found peace in that ancient song, as old as when trolls first set sail out on the seas. He tucked his pipe away beginning to whistle a bit louder hearing her sing carry over the wind. Unaware, when he had begun to whistle louder she sang a bit louder, only loud enough for their ears. She had a beautiful voice, high, clear, and surprisingly confident, despite what had happened to her. It was nice and he enjoyed it, unlike that of Mindfang’s, because while they shared the same voice, Mindfang’s was twisted with hate and her vindictiveness.   
He noted that she handled the ship well, and he liked her alone for that fact, for his ship could be a bit temperamental. She had a firm hand when needed yet was a real sweetheart and she was handling his ship well, deft hands adjusting where adjustment was needed. Her body was at rhythm with the sea beneath her feet which was shown by her graceful sway. He looked at the sun seeing it was almost setting so he made his way towards her taking the wheel.  
“Fine job,” he said with a smile.


	7. Rage

After dinner that night the crew was dismissed to their sleeping quarters to wind down for the night. Vriska stood on the deck lighting a few lanterns with oil and matches as asked by Dualscar. She watched all the crew walk down below deck until she was the last one left out. Turning her attention to the helm of the ship she saw Dualscar handing the wheel over to a crew member that had the night shift. The Orphaner then strutted over to Vriska, who just finished filling the last lantern with oil and lighting it, yawning loudly.  
“Oi, Lass, good wvork today, evwerythin’ alright?” he asked.   
“Yeah, everything is good,” she replied with a friendly smile as she looked up at him.  
“Ye are probably wvonderin’ wvhere ye gonna be sleepin’?” he inquired cracking his neck.  
“Yeah….” she muttered looking around.  
She really was curious about where she would be residing for the evening. It couldn’t be with the rest of the crew in the common sleeping quarters, that wouldn’t be all too safe for her in her opinion. What if he made her stay in a storage closet, like Mindfang had? That would only bring up harsh and cruel memories of the past filled with the disgusting sound the rats made as they chewed their way through the walls and crates. That horrible and mocking sound was starting to haunt the once calmed aura of her mind, distorting it into a wicked storm of anger, fear, and depression that disrupted the seas of tranquil existence. A look flashed in her eyes for a brief moment, a look that was of something un-troll like, a look that, again, made the brave fearless royal blooded hunter Captain grow very concerned. Like the shrill unexplainable terror felt when ascending a staircase and taking a misstep leaving someone in a moment of paralyzed fear that they could be faced with falling, that look only lasted less than a second, yet felt eternal.  
“Lass….. Ye alright there?” The seafaring Captain asked in a low cautious whisper.   
“Yes. Everything is fine,” The girl spoke with no living emotion, but in a monotone almost robotic way of an automated message.  
“Okay, wvell…. Ye wvill bed wvith me,” he stated looking down at her, with concerned still stitched in his furrowed brows.   
“What?” Vriska snarled somewhat.  
Bed with him? She asked to herself. This man better not be expecting her to intimately sleep with him just because he provided her some petty charity out of pity. Did he really think that was appropriate?! Did he really think he was so suave and charming he could pull that kind of dumb assery?! Was he just as much of a desperate fool like all his other pathetic male kin?! Was he looking for a death wish?! Wait, worse than a death wish! Was he wanting to know the feeling of being kicked so hard in that appendage between his legs that it inverted?! These were the questions that passed the angered pessimistic and paranoid views of the Serket girl’s mind.  
The Captain nearly blushed at realization that his simple statement came off quite lewd, than he had ever wanted. Sure, that girl was very pretty, but unlike most men, his crotch wasn’t some lust hungry beast that only craved the soft warm crux between a woman’s legs. Sure, men had two heads, but he only thought with the one that had a legitimate brain protected by a thick dome wall of bone structure. Sure, he was a pirate-like man but he was not some sick perverted bastard that wished to break every maiden head he found. He held up his hands in defense at the awkward mix of anger and embarrassed tension.  
“That…. That came off vvery inappropriate….. I havve no intentions of doin’ that, I swwear…. I …. I just meant that ye wwill be sleepin’ in my quarters…. So … ye feel safer… ye knoww?” Great, his childish stutter returned, it always did when he was nervous or embarrassed.   
The girl’s face softened and she busted into laughter, “Good! You almost had yourself about to be lying on the floor riving in agony while clutching between your legs.”  
The Captain gave an awkward chuckle and scratched behind one of his fins, “Aye, I probably wvould of deservwed it too if I wvas actually tryin’ to … romance ye …. But in all seriousness, I am just tryin’ to make ye feel comfortable here. Come let’s go to bed, it has been a long day and wve both need some sleep before I say somethin’ else that might trigger ye into rippin’ off me manhood.”  
She nods, and the two walk off below deck and into the Captain’s quarters after that awkward banter. Dualscar tried his best to avoid eye contact with this girl now, after making a complete fool out of himself. He was a noble Captain and he was supposed to behave such away and show no signs of weakness, awkward mannerisms, or simple errs to any member of his crew or someone who should take him seriously. This angered him very much so, but he wasn’t angry at her for assuming that he wanted to get intimate, but angry at himself for making such a wrigglerish mistake and showing his vulnerability to her, a Serket. COD Fuckin’ damn it, he was The Fuckin’ ORPHANER! He grew into a state of utter self-loathing and an awkward mix of wriggler-like confusion with his emotions. Once in his room her grunted as he took off his cape hanging it up on a wall hook.  
“Ye sleep on the mat again. Ye can also sleep in me robe again if ye wvant. It beats tossin’ and turnin’ in those wvork clothes all night. Sure, they make for good wvorkin’, but not sleepin’. Nowv if ye are goin’ to change, I suggest ye do it wvhile I am in the showver, unless ye wvant to take yer owvn showver, then I suggest ye just relax,” he muttered pulling some clothes for himself out of his wardrobe.   
He cracked his neck as he balled the clean clothes up and held them under his armpit. He took the opportunity while his hands were free to pull off all his jewelry, except his earrings, and set them on the desk. Although he did love his gold and wore it to show his high stature, he wasn’t going to make himself uncomfortable while he went to bed. In another realization, he realized he, again, was showing Vriska weakness, by shedding his jewelry which was his ego’s armor. He was showing off what he called his soft side, but in reality it was what everyone just called normalcy. He needed to stop being so comfortable around this girl, so nice to this girl, she should fear him. Everyone should fear him, and yet she saw him with his jewelry off, not even his first mate had seen that. He growls to himself and goes to his bathroom, closing the door shut behind him.  
With a sigh, he placed his clean sleeping clothes down on the bathroom counter. He stripped down out of his dirty clothes folding them up and setting them aside to his clean ones. Dualscar sighed again looking at his body in the mirror, mainly his scarred to hell and tattooed covered torso. His thumb traces over a long jagged scar that curved along the contours of some of his abdominals. He then looked at his face running his finger along his scarred face, he then sighed. Weakness gave him these scars. Then again, it was his strength and manly bravado that sculpted his lean and desired physique, and gave him his tattoos.   
He had quite a bit of ink on him, most of it nautical. A large white menacing sea horse fading into a blue hue of ocean waves wrapped around his bicep of his left arm. There was large black anchor with a skull for the top where the rope linked through, on the top his left pectoral that trailed down to his mid-section. On his right arm was a bare breasted troll mermaid with a long beautiful tail rising from the ocean with her hands trailing up through the back of her hair, the mermaid was Mindfang. Just below his Mindfang Mermaid was just a row of random violet stars that had no meaning to them, only getting them when he was drunk. On the back of his neck was a black spade with a Scorpio symbol in it, which matched with one his kismesis had. On his back was a ship with large tentacles wrapping around it, representing Gl’bgolyb, beneath the waves that crashed on the ship was a massive school of fish and sharks. He enjoyed his tattoos, yet he would have to fix the Mindfang related ones, because that black wasn’t going to last.   
After taking a shower he returned to the main room in his sleeping clothes, which was just a white long sleeved tunic and black silk pants. He looks over seeing Vriska who was looking at Mindfang’s journal, he knew that journal anywhere. He snaps into a fit of rage, growling as he runs up to her grabbing her by the horn and slamming her into the wall, hard. She closed her eyes tightly, shaking in fear as the journal was ripped from her grasp.   
“WVHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!” he yelled getting up in her face shaking the journal.  
“M-Mindfang’s journal….” she whimpered.  
“Ye still care about her?! Is that it! Ye are a fuckin’ spy! Ye LIED to me!” he growls slamming her against the wall again.   
“N-no… I… I am not… I swear,” she says starting to cry.  
“LIAR! Wvhy do ye havwe this shit then?!” he snarls smacking her in the face with the journal.  
She yelps as he hits her in the face, “I … I had it b-because… I-it is a-all I … I have left of my foolish w-wriggler d-dreams…. And it’s … it’s” she cries.  
“STOP SNVWILIN’ and tell me right nowv wvhy I shouldn’t gut ye,” he screams.  
“I…I…” she can’t speak, fear was clogging her throat.  
He wraps his large hands around her throat and starts to choke her violently, shaking her. She tries to scream out, but a sick gasping sound of death escapes her lips. Her hands frantically claw at his, as her face starts turning blue. She looked into his eyes seeing not the kind hearted noble Captain, but a murderous monster who only wanted her to die. Her tears roll down from her fear filled pleading eyes and she starts wheezing feeling her windpipe slowly crushing under his shear strength. Her clawing starts becoming weak and her eyes were in the process of rolling back when he snaps out of it. He blinks, a look of disgust with himself coming over him as he drops her and backs up.  
“Vwriska….” he whimpered in horror, thinking he just killed that girl.   
He nervously walks up to her motionless body kneeling down beside it. He cautiously reaches for her and pulls her into his arms, embracing her; she was limp. He bit his lip looking at her hand shaped bruised covered neck, and his heart started to hurt. He didn’t know what just came over him, he didn’t want to do this, and even if she was a threat he would of never of just murdered her in cold blood without letting her speak. She was so scared and she was crying, no spy or assassin of Mindfang’s would do that, she was just a little girl. His hands start to shake as he reached one out and began brushing some hair from her cheek. He felt horrible if he just killed this girl, even though he was the powerful and honorable Orphaner, he wasn’t a complete monster.   
“Vwris…. Please…. Wvake up. I… I am sorry…. I don’t knowv wvhy…. Seein’ that journal angered me…. I thought ye wvere lyin’ and it upset me…. Ye are growvin’ on me Lass….. And I havwe been hurt and betrayed by too many people wvho havwe managed to growv on me… please,” he muttered softly cradling her head in his hand.  
He almost could cry over the death of Mindfang’s descendant, but the man’s tears had dried up long ago. He started to shake growing angry with himself; he thought he had control over his killer horrible side. He thought he made himself a good man after sweeps of terrible actions. There was a sound of a small whimper escape the girl’s lips and her eyes started to open slowly, only landing upon Dualscar in fear. Tensing her body up she coughed in pain trying to catch her breath after being choked out. Dualscar’s eyes widened and he gently rubbed the girl’s shoulder trying to calm her.  
“Lass….. I am sorry…. Please … I just had a lot on me mind…. And seein’ that journal…. Pissed me off… I am not that kinda man though… I wvould of let ye speak, but somethin’ came ovwer me…. Are ye okay? Can ye talk? Is anythin’ broken?” he asked his voice a bit shaken.  
Vriska whimpers crawling from his arms, “I am fine.”  
“I am not a bad man…. I am not a bad man… Believwe me,” he mutters holding his hand out.  
She cautiously stands and grabs her throat in pain, “I…. I am going to shower.”   
She grabs the robe and runs into the bathroom locking the door shut behind her as she starts crying. Dualscar just watched her run from him in fear, she was no Mindfang, and she wasn’t evil. He didn’t want to hurt her, she didn’t do anything wrong, but then again why did she have Mindfang’s journal? He sighs picking it up, looking at the page Vriska was reading, it was tear stained, she was mourning. He growls gripping his hair and shaking, what has he done?! Vriska showers, the whole time thinking about how scared she was to go back out to him.   
Finally after an hour, she leaves the shower and comes out in the robe seeing Dualscar sitting on his bed. He hands her a little tube of sopor lotion to rub on her neck to ease the pain. She takes it cautiously rubbing the green goo on her neck, feeling it work its healing remedies on her bruised skin. The ugly discoloring would be gone in a day or two hopefully. She hands the tube back to him and he puts it away in a drawer in his nightstand.  
“Feel better?” he asked looking into her eyes.  
“I guess,” she mumbled sitting on the mat by his bed.  
He looks at her neck that hand shaped bruises and he sighs, “Vwriska, wvhy do ye havwe Mindfang’s journal?”  
“I… I have had it since I was just a wriggler. My lusus was abusive and I had no friends but that journal…. That journal made me feel great… I thought I was destined for greatness…. But I was betrayed by the woman I wished to become… I kept it after the betrayal because that was the last little shred of hope I had left…. I … I wasn’t ready to face reality… even after all she has done… I mean… I grew up reading that journal, it was the only thing I truly loved and… I wasn’t ready to lose it…” she says in a soft tone her eyes looking at the journal he held.  
“I… I understand…. Mindfang, wvas as glorified as she wvrote in her journal at one point, but ye havwe seen that she had changed. Mindfang, wvas a great and powverful pirate and evwen I admired her… I havwe nevwer told this to anyone but ye deservwe to knowv wve havwe both been hurt by her and…. I need to make up for hurtin’ ye…. I, as taboo as it is, wvas red for her once. She wvas evwerythin’ I wvanted, but she wvas becomin’ …. evwil and as much as I wvanted her to be me matesprit, I didn’t wvant to fall back into old habits due to her influence… so I became her kismesis, and then she treated me like a joke…..” he sighs. “This is yers,” he muttered handing the journal to her.  
She held up her hand, “It’s yours, I want ye to keep it…. Dwelling in the past won’t fix me…..“  
He grits his teeth looking at the journal, and squeezes it in his hands. That poor girl spent her life worshipping this thing; this made him angered at himself. He strangled her for just wanting to be like a wriggler again and read it with the admiration she once had. He loosens his grip and put the journal on his nightstand. That disgusting thing had tortured them both and it needed to be destroyed so no impressionable wriggler, like Vriska once was, finds it ever again.  
“Wve can givwe this wvretched thing a proper burial,” he muttered.   
She chuckles, “Yeah that will be fun. So are you even with her anymore? I was on her ship for a sweep and I didn’t see you once. I mean, I spent time with my kismesis a lot.”  
“Ye havwe a kismesis?” he asked raising an eyebrow.  
She blushes somewhat, and whispers “Yeah, but I haven’t seen him a sweep so let’s not worry about that. Tell me, what is going on with you and Mindfang? I mean all I saw on her ship quadrant wise was The Summoner.”  
He groans, “Of course that fuckin’ fairy slut wvas alwvays there. He is the reason wvhy she doesn’t even wvant to spend time wvith me anymore…. She has screwed us both over. You wvorse than me, but you knowv.”   
“Yeah I get it,” she sighs lying down on her mat.  
He lies down on his bed and glances over at her with a slight frown, “Look, I wvill try nevwer to hurt ye like that again. I swvear”  
“Captain Dualscar…. It is okay… I understand you got issues… we all do… we just can’t be turning on each other every step of the way if we want to destroy Mindfang.” she grunted.  
“Destroy…. Mindfang?” he asked shocked.  
“Yes, not only are we going to give the journal a burial, but her too,” she hisses.  
“Ye can’t be serious…” he replied.  
“I am serious…. I want her dead…. And I want one of us to be the one to do it. Are you in?” she asked looking up at him.  
“I… I can’t go on a Mindfang hunt…. I got lusii to hunt,” he groaned.  
“I am not saying we need to hunt her down… I am just saying if she ever crosses our path we will kill her….” she chuckles.  
“I see….” he sighs.  
“You in then?” she asks holding her hand up to him with a wide smirk.  
“Yer gonna be a hand full aren’t ye?” he laughed.  
“Not if ye have faith in me. So we got a plan?” she replied smirking.  
“Fine! Wve got a plan. Wve shall kill the beldame,” he chuckles shaking her hand.  
“Good you are on my side…” Vriska whispers.  
“Nowv go to bed. Wve both havwe wvork tomorrowv….” he replies turning to turn off the light on his nightstand making the room go dark.  
“Night Captain,” she yawns closing her eyes.  
He smiles watching her nuzzle into the mat, curling up in her blanket. “Night Vwriska,” he whispered.


	8. The Wicker Man

Morning came soon enough and Vriska, along with the rest of the crew got up and got to work on the deck as the Captain took his place upon the helm steering the wheel. Vriska was assigned the task of helping a few other crew members load gun powder into the cannons. The familiar scent of gun powder made Vriska think of home; she had a talent of building explosives and doomsday devices which she made quite a hobby of. She always built bombs for Eridan, back when he was going through his ‘KILL ALL LANDWWELLERS’ phase, but she always made them defective so he would always fail, it was very amusing.  
As she loaded barrels of gun powder into one of the larger cannons a few of the men watched her. Most were surprised that such a young girl could carry her own weight like this, and some where just watching her for the simple fact she was a woman, an attractive woman. One of the crew members kept a particular close eye on her; it was a while since he had seen a woman. He continued to watch her as she effortlessly went about her work, one of his companions noticed and laughed smacking him square upside his head with a stupid smirk.  
On the other side of the ship Dualscar’s first mate was tackling a task of just directing some of the crew who were moving around a cannon. The wind was pretty heavy out today so the ship was rocking quite severely causing those who didn’t have the best grip on their sea legs to stumble about which made for harder work than it ought to be. Up from the crow’s nest a rope had gotten free and it was now swinging fast about the ship causing most to duck and cover. Although it was just a rope, if it were to hit someone at the speed it was swinging it could inflict some serious damage. Dualscar just laughed at his men who were cowering, calling them all ‘A bunch of pussies.’   
Seeing as no one else was planning on doing anything about the swinging rope of death, the first mate went off to wrangle it down so work could get back on track. As he got closer to it a big gust of wind came and blew the rope in his direction causing it to make contact with his neck. It felt as if he had just been hit with a whip and his neck was bleeding profusely now. Regardless of his injury the man managed to grab hold of the rope and tie it down to the mast, in a knot that he knew wouldn’t get loose. Dualscar noticed the blood streaming from his neck and walked over to check on him, after handing the wheel over to someone else.  
“Oi, ye alright?” he asked walking up to the first mate who was now clutching his neck in realization that being hit with a rope really did hurt like a bitch.   
“Who’s the fucking sonuvabitch who let that thing get loose?” he chuckled lightheartedly, but it was obvious he was hurting.   
“Let me see it?” Dualscar commanded wanting to see the severity of the wound.   
The first mate hissed moving his indigo blood covered hand from his neck. It was a pretty sizable and deep gash the rope had inflicted on his neck and it wasn’t a clean blow either. The flesh was ripped about in different ways and thick nasty jagged rope fibers littered the expose blue meat, splintering it. Dualscar reached in towards the cut pulling out a rope fiber that was about an inch long, the first mate hissed at this. The Captain flicked the bloody fiber from his fingers and sighed at his first mate.   
“Go to the infirmary, ye need stitches. Ye are relievwed from yer wvork for the day,” he stated.  
“But what about getting the job done, Captain?” he asked putting his hand back over his neck.  
“Put yer hand dowvn, ye got em’ rope fibers in there and ye are just pushin’ them in further. Ye need to go nowv before infection spreads. Those ropes are filthy, covered in dirt, lusii blood, rat piss, and cod knowvs wvhat else. That filth is getting in yer blood stream and ye need it cleaned nowv before ye get sick….” He hissed. “As for yer wvork, don’t wvorry about it. I care more about the wvell bein’ of my crewv than just chores. Nowv go.”  
The first mate removes his hand and nodded running off to get to the infirmary. Dualscar sighed shaking his head before looking out to address his crew who was watching the first mate to see if he really was fine. He stood to where he could be seen and pointed out to where his first mate went.   
“Nowv that ain’t a pussy. Ye all should be more like him. Back to wvork, wve wvill havwe break in twvo hours. This wvind is goin’ to kill us all,” he grunted before going back to the wheel of the ship.  
When break time came the wind had died down some and instead of going to a designated area, the crew dispersed about the deck of ship. Some dropped where they were and took a nap, others pulled out some fishing rods and began casting out lines over the railing, a few groups huddled together and started gambling while Vriska just stood there not sure what to do. Dualscar chuckled to himself and walked over to the confused girl.  
“Not sure wvhat to do, aye?” he asked with a smirk.  
“No… it’s not like I really have a particular group of allies to hang around,” she replied.  
“Wvhy don’t ye go to the infirmary and check up on me first mate? See howv he’s doin’. Besides I wvould like it better if ye shelter yerself from the wvind wvhile ye got the time. Ye are so thin and yer delicate form might just blowv awvay, and that wvould just be a shame,” he teased.   
“Yeah yeah, is there a problem with being thin?” she scoffed.  
“No but there is a difference betwveen bein’ thin and looking like if ye turned sidewvays ye disappear,” he laughed.  
“Oh shut up,” she laughed crossing her arms. “I am not that bad lookin’.”  
“I knowv, but ye really do needa beef up,” he laughed smacking her in her arm in a playful manner. He leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Wvhy don’t ye go grab a snack before ye go? I generally don’t condone takin’ food at a non-meal time, but ye’vwe earned it and ye sure as hell need it. The chef should be in the kitchen, but he is no trouble at all.”  
She smirked and nodded at him, “Aye aye Captain.”  
“Just don’t eat any fruit. That is properly shared amongst evweryone. For reasons of scurvwy. Ye knowv?” he said in a soft tone.  
She gives him another nod and walks off to go below deck, getting out of the wind. The man who was watching her work noticed her part ways from everyone else on deck and followed after her when no one was looking. Vriska made her way into the kitchen, being greeted by the jolly chef who was getting lunch ready.   
“Oi, Lassy. What brings ye into my kitchen? Witty lady like yeself is lost?” he asked chopping up some vegetables.   
“Uh no… I am here for something to snack on,” she replied giving the chef a small smile.  
“Oh… Captain doesn’t exactly approve of snackin’ ye know?” he chuckled turning to face her.  
“Funny thing is... Captain ordered me to get something to eat. Apparently I am as thin as paper,” she said with a laugh.  
“Wouldn’t put it past him. He always tries an’ put up that stone cold demeanor but he is a good man, but don’t take his kind pleasantries for granted. He will crack skulls when he needs to. I’ve seen that man pull off a gator lusii’s bottom jaw with his bare hands. Oh the way that bone snapped was awful and spine chillin’,” he said with a shudder. “But ye should be fine honey as long as ye behave.”  
Vriska thought about what he said about Dualscar breaking off a lusii’s jaw with his bare hands. Imagine what he could have done to her neck if he used full force when choking her last night. She shook the thought from her head and looked at the chef. He put a hand on her shoulder and grinned down at her, causing her to tense up and back up.   
“Oh sorry, Hun…. Didn’t mean to make ye uncomfortable. Ye see…. Ye don’t got to worry about me tryin’ to get with ya…. Ya see… ye aren’t exactly me type…. I play on a different team, if ya know what I mean,” he chuckles.  
“Oh…. I get what you are saying. The other crew members don’t give you a hard time… about your choices?” she asked.  
“Ah some are bothered by it but ye know I can’t spend me life tryin’ to make every ass hat happy. I am goin’ to live me life the way I want and if people don’t respect that then they don’t get to eat…. Everyone minds their own fuckin’ business, everyone eats. The chef on a ship is what helps the ship run, if the chef is pissed off, no work is done because of hunger and ship falls apart. Everyone has learned that the hard way so me choices are no longer an issue. Plus I am like one of the biggest guys on the ship, it’s not like they are gonna kick me ass for bein’ different….. As for ye bein‘ a woman. Ye need to show the men that ye aren’t to be messed with. Ye are as strong as them,” he laughs.  
“Yeah I get it, but some men just don’t know limits,” she sighed.  
“What about the Empress? Do ye see any man tryin’ to fuck with her? Or even Mindfang…. No man is messin’ with that bitch. Ye need to show these men why they should fear ye and then they will respect ya,” he replied. “But before ye do that, Captain is right, ye need to eat somethin’. Bein’ all tiny isn’t helpin‘” he laughs handing her four butter rolls in a napkin.   
“Oh thank you, but I don’t need four,” she replied looking at the warm yummy looking rolls.  
“Shhh… It will be our little secret Lass,” he chuckles.  
She smiles in thanks and walks off to the hall near the galley shoving an entire roll into her mouth and devouring it. It was sweet and the creamy butter added so much flavor, she missed food like this. She took another roll ripping the flaky warm goodness in half, expecting to take her time savoring this one but ended up just shoving both halves in her mouth at the same time. She looked at her last two with her cheeks still stuffed with rolls. She would save those for the first mate so she wrapped them up in a napkin and shoved them in her pocket.   
Proceeding her way to the infirmary, she stopped at the sound of someone nearby. She turns around seeing no one which causes her to furrow her brows in concern. She started walking a little faster in her search for the infirmary, the sound of footsteps got faster as well. She growls stopping and turning around seeing a man come out of a nearby room.  
“Quit following me,” she snarled before resuming her walk.   
He came up and grabbed her by the waist leaning in to whisper in her ear, “No… I don’t think so…”   
He tosses her in the nearby room entering after her and closing the door behind him. She growls standing up putting up fists prepared to fight, she wasn’t going to let this happen again. He snarled his lip, scoffing at her pathetic effort to seem menacing and approached her.  
Dualscar decided to go check up on his first mate and see how he was doing. He entered the infirmary surprised to not see Vriska in there, maybe she went up on deck, or was still in the kitchen, the chef did love to chat it up. He shrugged walking over to his first mate, who was sleeping in a hammock. He smirked grabbing the ropes that hung from the ceiling and flipped the hammock making him fall to the floor with a loud thud.  
“Ouch! You dick!” he yelled sitting up before laughing. “Oh fuck you too Dualscar.”  
“Howv ye be?” Dualscar asked with a smirk crouching by the first mate.  
“A lot better, I needed seven stitches. Good call on getting my wound clean, it was pretty bad,” he replied rubbing the bandages on his neck.  
“So did Vwriska come in here?” he asked raising an eyebrow.  
“No… why?” the first mate stated.  
“I told her to come vwisit ye after she got a snack…. I guess the chef is holdin’ her up… I wvill be back in a minute, let me just check to see if she’s alright…. She might havwe gotten lost. It is a big ship after all and she is such a small thing,” he chuckled.  
He started down the hallway heading to the galley to see if he could find his cerulean blood castaway. Vriska was in a rather sticky situation at the moment, as the crew member had her pinned down behind some crates that were in the room. A hand was over her mouth to muffle her screams, but that didn’t stop her from trying to make the loudest sounds she could muster. Dualscar stopped as he heard something, was that screaming? He thought to himself. Then there was the sounds of scuffling as she struggled, which he followed until he found the two of them behind a crate of thyralian sapphires.  
“ATTENTION!” He snapped in a voice colder than the blood in his veins. “Find yer wvay above deck nowv!” he roared.  
He picked the bastard up by the collar of his shirt and hurled him out into the hall; clearly pissed he was so openly defied. When he was thrown he had blood on his chest, but it wasn’t Vriska’s but his own thick burnt orange blood. Vriska’s hands were also covered in blood, from scratching and clawing away at the flesh on his chest. When the brute was off her, she stood, running up to the sailor and began beating him senseless. His face was becoming battered, literally caving in some, and she was punching so hard the flesh from her knuckles was ripping off.   
Dualscar watched on indifferently, he warned there would be punishment, this was it, or at least was her form, he wasn’t done with him yet. He could definitely see the relationship to Mindfang now, as she mercilessly beat him. The cerulean from her knuckles was mixing in with his burnt orange colored blood. When the man was lying on the floor bleeding relentlessly, she got off him and delivered a strong kick to the groin before turning to face Dualscar.  
“Hello Captain,” she muttered looking up at him.  
“Hello Vwriska, are ye alright?” he asked looking her over.  
“Yeah I am just fine. I was too much for this bastard,” she snarled spitting on the bloodied troll.  
He nods and began walking to the stairs that led above deck, stopping to grab the pained troll by one of his horns and dragging him up the stairs. He walked slowly enough for her to keep up as she followed him out on the main deck. He leaned the troll against the mast of the ship before stomping on the deck loudly whistling general quarters, causing everyone to run up. She walked up beside Dualscar, holding her bloody hands out in front of her for all to see. He looked at her patting her gently on the back before turning to address the crew who looked from him to her and then to the bloody man.  
“Some of ye may havwe thought, like this wvastrel, me wvarnin’ wvasn’t enough, he can’t be serious ovwer this can he?” he pointed to the troll who was coughing up some teeth. “As ye ALL can see he found out the hard wvay that our Lovwely Lady of the ship isn’t just a pretty face among us. AYE, she did this to him, not me, HER and I say he got off pretty fuckin’ easy, wvouldn’t ye?! So let this!” He pulls out a saber and grabbed the man’s left hand. In a moment, as quick as lightning, he sliced the man’s hand off. “Be a wvarnin’ to ye all…. And next time… punishment wvill be wvorse!”  
When the blade sliced through the man’s flesh and bone there was a blood curdling scream. Dualscar, sheathing his saber, held up the bloody dismembered appendage claiming it as his own, as blood spurted from the new nub the sailor was sporting. Vriska’s eyes widened as she watched the punishment Dualscar had inflicted, she hadn’t expected him to defend her honor in that sort of way. The troll screamed and groaned clutching his bloody wrist as he was riving in agony. He glared up at Vriska, giving her a look that he was going to kill her for this. Dualscar noticed this and snarled a lip in anger, as a few crew members came to collect the bloody man.  
“Wvait!” Dualscar yelled holding his hand up at the approaching men.  
“He has gotten off too easy…. He wvon’t learn his lesson… Nowv I must make an example for all of ye!” he roared.  
Dualscar pulled out a pistol and shot the man quickly, effortlessly, and spot on in the middle of his head. The man’s brain matter and blood splattered across the deck and he fell over with a thud. Vriska let out a silent gasp and tensed up as she watched this, blood splattering up on her, even a few drops on her face. Dualscar grabbed the corpse by the horn and propped him up on the railing before letting go of the troll corpse letting it splash into the water, and sink below. He then tossed the dismembered hand over board to join its original owner. He peeked over the rail noticing sharks and lusii swarming the bloody water.  
“I hope this makes meself clear on me orders. As I said Vwriska is off limits, unless ye wvant to end up as lusii food.” Dualscar tucked away his pistol and wiped his hands together looking to all the world like he didn’t just kill a man. “Carry on!” he growled watching them depart.  
He turned and sighed looking at Vriska, “I am sorry, I should of came wvith ye.”  
Vriska was still in a state of shock in what just happened, she didn’t know Dualscar was that serious about keeping her safe. She would have never expected him to just slice off the crew members hand like that, let alone kill one of his own men. He sighed wiping the blood off her cheek with his thumb.  
“Ye alright Lass? I didn’t scare ye, did I? I am sorry, but I am a vwery serious man and unlike some people I don’t play silly games,” he says looking down at her.  
“I am fine,” she replied. “… Thank you… No one would have ever done anything like that for me.”  
“It’s no problem. I wvant ye to be happy and feel safe. Ye havwe respected me so far and havwe done wvork like ye should plus ye make for good company. I respect ye in return,” he stated pulling out his pipe and smoking it.  
“Yeah, you have been the first person who has been nice to me in a sweep. Why wouldn’t I respect you?” she said with a soft smile.  
“Go wvash up. Plus ye are relievwed of deck duty. Wvhen ye are done wvashin’ go to the infirmary and tend to me first mate and keep him company. Also see if the doctor needs anythin’. He is a hard wvorker and he is underappreciated. Yer main goal should be tryin’ to get him to smile. Wvould ye do that for me?” he said with a grin.  
“Aye aye, Captain,” she said and went to his quarters to get the blood off.


	9. Stolen

After washing the blood from her skin and clothes Vriska went down to the infirmary to visit the first mate and the doctor. She gently knocked on the door before opening it and stepping in smiling over at the first mate who was playing solitaire with a deck of playing cards. The doctor was at his desk writing in a journal, he darted a glance at Vriska when she entered, but did nothing more. Vriska went over and sat down by the first mate, he smiled at her.  
“Hello Lass, I see Dualscar found you. Everything alright?” he asked with a friendly smirk.  
“Well… There was an issue,” she muttered looking down.  
“Issue? What happened?” he asked, his expression becoming serious.  
“Well one of the crew members tried to take me, but Dualscar came in before anything happened…. The crew member is dead….” she replied.  
“I thought I heard a gunshot…. Are you okay?” he asked looking into her eyes.  
“Yeah, he didn’t hurt me,” she sighed softly.  
He smiles at her and puts a hand on her shoulder, “Don’t get glum Vriska.”  
“I can just feel the crew judging me… looking at me like meat…. Acting like I am not a real crew member…” she huffs.  
“Well, you don’t look the part, plus you are in Mindfang’s clothes…. That’s why I made you something… so you look more like us,” he said with a smile.  
“Um what?” she asked with a confused expression.  
He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small cloth, it was a patch with an Aquarius symbol stitched into it. It was a black square with the bright violet symbol embroidered in the middle. It was for her to sew onto clothes so it matched with everyone else’s, mainly because her current clothes had Mindfang’s symbol on it which made it seem like that’s where her loyalty lay. All the crew members had Dualscar’s symbol stitched into their clothes showing they were all unified.   
“Here, you can sew this on your clothes and then everyone will see you belong,” he replied.  
She smiles taking the patch, “Wow, thanks. This means a lot.”  
“It’s not a problem. We all have the need to feel like we belong,” he says softly rubbing his neck wound.  
She takes a nearby needle and thread off the doctor’s desk, who actually didn’t seem to mind that she took it due to the fact he was so busy writing in his journal at the moment. She began sewing the patch into her top, on the upper left breast section. When she was done she glanced over at a nearby mirror; it was weird seeing the Ampora symbol marked on her, she was so use to having the Serket symbol. The doctor looked over at the girl, she looked so lost in an innocent manner as she wore the symbol of her kin’s enemy, and he took note of that.  
“You are one of us now, Vriska,” he chuckles patting her shoulder gently.   
She smiled at him wishing she could show him thanks in some way, before remembering she still had the two rolls in her pocket. She pulled out the napkin she had them wrapped up in and handed it to him. They were a little squished and weren’t as hot anymore, but they would still be good to eat. The first mate opened up the napkin with curiosity etched on his face before grinning wide.  
“You have chef’s rolls! These things are the best! Did… did you steal these?” he asked looking a bit disappointed at her if that was the case.  
“No. He gave them to me. There were four but I already ate two. I was saving the rest for you,” she replied.  
“Oh good. I would have to report it to Captain if you were stealing,” he states already beginning to shove one roll in his mouth.  
“Yeah, I don’t plan on stealing anything,” she mutters with a shrug.  
“Good,” he said with a mouth full. He then glances over at the doctor and throws the other roll at him. “Here Doc.”  
The doctor glares at him after being hit in the body by projectile bread before just rolling his eyes and nibbling on it. Although the doctor didn’t really like anyone or anything on the ship, he could agree that the rolls did taste good. It was the one thing he actually did like when it came to the chef’s food making abilities, which ninety percent of the time he questioned. The first mate smirked at the doctor as he watched the quiet man begin eating the roll.   
“Good to see you eating something. All I ever see you consume is that damn herbal tea,” the first mate laughed.  
The doctor wiped his mouth of crumbs and looked over at the first mate with an angered glare. “Herbal tea is good. Without it I would go mad on this ship of boorish idiots. None of you make for proper conversation. It’s always talk of breasts, liquor, or more breasts. The herbal tea keeps me from wanting to string myself up with a rope around my neck and jump from the crow’s nest. Even then my limp dangling carcass would just give you guys something to gawk at because all of you guys derive comedy from either sex or death.”  
“Well then, tell me how you really feel Doc. Did somebody miss their nap time?” the first mate scoffed.  
“Yes, I did actually, because your idiocy strolled in here,” the doctor grumbled.  
“One of these days someone is going to kick your ass and everyone will just watch. I don’t know what stick got shoved up your ass, but the way you act towards us is wrigglerish at best,” the first mate growled standing up.  
“I don’t care what you… or anyone for that matter thinks or feels about me… you are healed so run along. I want to be alone,” the doc snarled.  
The first mate walked out slamming the door shut, leaving Vriska alone in there. She stood and slowly walked towards the door, feeling like she should go console the first mate. The doctor held out his arm stopping her and he stood from his chair with narrowed eyes.  
“Look I am leaving,” she muttered trying to walk past him.  
“Where is your place?” he hissed.  
“Uh, what do you mean? You mean like on the ship?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.  
“No…. in life. Where is your place? What are you trying to do? Where are you trying to get?” he growled remaining in a hostile demeanor.   
Her expression softened, “Maybe you should ask yourself the same question before prodding into my business.”  
“Look, Serket! Out of everyone on this ship I hate you the most, even more than that foolish beast, Dualscar and I hate him a lot.”   
She growled, “Well that’s your own fucking problem and I do not deserve your scorn for just trying to stay alive! I have done NOTHING to you, hell I even tried standing up for your defense. I am just trying to make my way home, and as for Dualscar, I don’t know what your beef is with him, but he is no beast from what I have seen. He is just a man… a troll, like you.”  
“That MAN! That man blew up my ship in the middle of a fight with your bitch Ancestor! They thought it was such a good fucking idea to show off their black rom right next to a harbor. My ship got stuck in the cross fire and we got boarded by pirates. Mindfang’s crew either stole or killed whoever they found and Dualscar just blew up the fucking ship in attempts to maim Mindfang! So I was hurled out into the water and Dualscar took me in,” he yelled.  
“Well I can understand your hate at Mindfang and frustrations with Dualscar, but the man… he gave you shelter and from the looks of it treats you pretty well, and as for me I don’t understand why you hate me for what they did,” she sighed.  
“Because Serkets are evil! Mindfang kidnapped my matesprit! She killed my new born grubs! You, you are that wenches spawn! The spawn of pure evil! I don’t fucking understand why that evil woman’s wriggler gets to live while mine, and I was nothing but a good man, get to be fucking squished under her scarlet heels!” he snarled.  
She frowns and sighs, “Mindfang didn’t want me to be alive either…. She made me a prisoner on her ship and let her crew do horrible things to me. The only reason why I am here is because she tossed me overboard thinking I was dead and Dualscar found me. I know what it feels like to be alone and feel like you have nothing left.”  
“You… you were on her ship… Was there a woman there?! Long hair down to her knees? Olive blood? Short? She… she has a tattoo of a butterfly on her neck…” he asked distraught.  
She shook her head sadly, “No…”  
He sighed sitting down in his chair putting his head in his hands. “So she really is gone…” He looked over at a container of tea packets. “She always loved tea. I hated it, but she made me drink it. Said it was good for me.”  
She kneels beside his chair and cautiously puts a hand on his arm. “I am sorry. I know you hate Mindfang for this… but trust me... I am no Mindfang… I would never do anything like that… she hurt me too, and I plan on killing her for it and when I kill her, I will kill her in your honor as well.”  
He looks at her, “Bring me her head.”  
“Yeah, I will…. So if you don’t like being here why be here? I doubt Dualscar is keeping you captive…” she replies.  
“I got nothing else… I couldn’t force myself into going back to my hive, not without her… or my grubs…” he sighs.  
She pats his arm and frowns, “I am sorry, but look at the positives you are safe here and Dualscar nor any of the crew will hurt you. Sure, you might not feel accepted here, but if it means anything, I can be your friend.”  
He looks at her and smiles some, “Thanks…. Sorry I was mean to you. I am just taking out my anger on the wrong person… everyone just seems to piss me off since… well you know… I am just so frustrated.”  
“Well, bottling it all up…. Only hurts more… I would know,” she mutters.  
“Seems like you have your own issues bottled up,” he replied.  
“It’s just Mindfang, was the woman I idolized, I loved her and she hurt me. She let her men abuse me and then laughed in my face as I showed her my pain. I always thought she was a great woman, but everything I knew was a lie. She never even loved me and I bet right now she doesn’t even remember my existence. Idolizing her was the true thing that made me happy, but that is gone,” she muttered.  
“Must be hard,” he sighs.  
She nods sitting down on the floor next to the doctor’s chair. The doctor was actually happy to have someone to talk to; it had been a long time since he actually had an actual conversation with someone. The crew on this ship wasn’t really the best to talk to when it came to intellectual or emotional topics, but luckily Vriska was. After a few hours Dualscar stepped into the infirmary and looked at the two.  
“I see ye twvo havwe made friends…. It’s dinner time,” he said with a smirk.  
“Yeah we have been talking,” Vriska said standing up.  
The doctor got quiet and walked past the two deciding to go to the galley. Vriska looked up at Dualscar and gave him a soft smile. He saw her Aquarius patch and looked at it curiously, before grinning some.  
“I like the newv addition to yer outfit…. So I wvanted to see if ye wvanted to join me for dinner in me quarters instead of in the galley. I don’t think any of the crewv really wvant to be around ye after wvhat happened earlier today,” he replied scratching the back of his head.  
“Sure, that would be nice. I could go for some food,” she says with a smile.  
They walked into his cabin and there was a table set out with a large bowl of crayfish along with butter, and a bowl for shells. He unhooked his cape hanging it up before taking a bottle of fine liquor from a cabinet. Vriska smirked at the sight of the liquor and food, causing her stomach to rumble. She quickly took a seat and grabbed the one of the steaming shellfish from the bowl.  
“I love crayfish…” she said with a grin cracking one open.  
Why wouldn’t she? It required breaking stuff to eat them, perfect for trolls like them.   
“Ye havwe good taste,” he replied sitting across from her.  
She began cracking one after the other devouring the little morsels with ferocity. Dualscar sat back and watched with a wide eyed gaze, as she consumed her delicious sea dwelling victims. For such a small thing she could definitely put away the food. She realized her gluttony and looked at him embarrassed in the middle of slurping up the juices from the shell.   
“Sorry….” she chuckles.  
He just hands her the bottle of liquor and laughs, “Good to see ye eatin’.”  
“Yeah… I just… really like crayfish… I like sucking the heads,” she chuckles grabbing the bottle.  
“Ye wvhat?” he asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.  
She blushes dark and growls at him, “You and I both know what I meant, you pervert.”  
“Wvell wvhen ye say somethin’ like that I am goin’ to say somethin’ about it,” he chuckles.  
“You still know what I meant,” she mutters still blushing.  
“Aye aye, I am just teasin’ just don’t say anythin’ like that around the other men. They wvill givwe ye more than a hard time about it and that’s somethin’ ye don’t need,” he says with a smile.  
She looked away from him letting her embarrassed blush fade away from her face. She took a sip from the bottle of liquor setting it down on the table in front of them. Dualscar took two crayfish at once cracking them open to fish out the flakey meat from inside. He discarded the shells in the bowl once he was done eating them. Once the bowl was full of empty shells he gathered it and walked over to the window, opening a panel of it up and discarding the shells into the water below.  
He returned to sit on his bed, running his hand through his hair somewhat tiredly. Vriska yawned and unhooked the armored corset from that ridiculous battle dress she was wearing; her clothes were now loose but comfier. She took a seat on her mat, her dress hiking up some exposing some bruises on her legs she had acquired from her struggle with the crew member who attacked her. Dualscar noticed and sighed lying back on his bed, he needed to be on guard more.  
“I am sorry Vwriska,” he muttered sadly closing his eyes.  
“For what?” she asked looking up at him confused.  
“For letting’ ye get attacked. He didn‘t … he didn‘t do anything right? I mean even touchin’…” he mumbled glancing over at her.  
“I’m fine, he didn‘t do anything … I don’t think it will happen again,” she whispered.  
He nods locking his hands together and cracking all of his knuckles after a day of hard work. He closed his eyes and kicked off his boots letting them crash onto the floor. He knew he needed rest; tomorrow he would be facing swarms of lusii to kill. After a few minutes he was out like a light, and Vriska fell asleep shortly after him.


	10. Trespass

There was a large crashing noise and the sounds of screaming and yelling that jolted Vriska awake from her mat. She looked around the room growing concerned at the noises coming up from deck. She looked at Dualscar’s bed, noticing he wasn’t there, along with Ahab’s crosshairs that was usually hung up on the wall. She then noticed something was off, the leveling of the ship was slanted to the side instead of flat. She jumped to her feet, quickly putting on her armor for her dress and ran up on deck.  
It was grim out, although it was day, the sky was a sickly grayish blue with large dark gray menacing clouds and it was raining down hard. The crew was running around in utter chaos as the bow of the ship was being attack by a mass of tentacles that was coming up from the water, and the mast of the ship was hooked up with the mast of some foreign ship. Both ships were in an uncomfortable slanted position causing anything that wasn’t tied down to roll off the edge and anyone who didn’t have good footing to slip and stumble. Dualscar’s crew was engaged in battle with the crew from the other ship, who were boarding. The Orphaner himself was stuck up on the bow firing his weapon at the lusus who was attacking. A tentacle wrapped around his ankle and was tugging him towards the edge, but he did his best to stand firm ground.  
It was apparent that the Orphaner’s crew couldn’t see their Captain in danger as they continued battling away with the opposing crew. Vriska knew she had to help him, so she ran as fast as she could without losing her footing. She ran up to him, looking around for something that could help before noticing a sword in a sheath he had on his belt. She grabbed the hilt of the sword pulling it out from its sheath and struck the tentacle around his leg, cutting it off. There was a spine chilling screech that caused some men to cover their ears and the dismembered appendage squirmed frantically around on the deck.   
Dualscar looked over to see who just saved his skin, his eyes widening at the sight of the young girl. He opened his mouth about to say something but another tentacle began to lunge for him. Vriska got a firm grip on her sword and took action, slicing off the slimy arm. Dualscar grit his teeth and turned his attention back to the beast getting better footing on the slick deck. She stood by his side striking and slicing at any tentacles that got near them. The Orphaner shot her a glare as the beast was beginning to back off slightly.  
“WVHAT THE FUCK ARE YE DOIN’ OUT HERE?” he yelled, he wasn’t angry at her, he was only yelling so she could hear over the roars from the beast, and the screaming and yelling from the men.  
“I heard trouble so I came to help!” she yelled back keeping her attention on the beast.  
“That’s good and all but ye need to get back in me quarter’s ye are safer there!” he replied shooting his weapon at the lusus.  
“I am going to help Dualscar! I can fight!” she yelled.  
Sure, Vriska was a woman and was seen as inferior to the rest of the crew, but she knew how to hold her own and fight. She grew up always in a survival mode due to the fear of being eaten alive, she learned how to defend herself and use a sword. Dualscar wasn’t telling her to hide because he thought she was weak, but because he wanted her to be safe. He looked at her as if she was still a young wriggler, and as ironic as it was for him being the Orphaner, he was almost “daddying” her as if she was his own.  
“I don’t wvant ye gettin’ hurt!” he snarled.  
“I am going to help! Am I or am I not a member of this crew!? We stick together!” she yelled.  
His expression softened for a moment before letting out an angered growl, “Fine! Patrol belowv deck, I think some of those scoundrels got dowvn there. Kill anyone wvho isn’t one of ours, regardless of howv they are, if ye can’t tell look for me symbol on the clothin’ of course. If things get to dicey I wvant ye to run and hide in me quarters! That’s an ORDER!”  
“Aye, Captain,” she yells gripping the hilt of her sword tightly and runs off to the door that led below deck.  
Dualscar looked at the sword she held, it was one he had stolen from Mindfang sweeps ago. It was an older model of the sword Mindfang currently carried, lacking the barbed blade her new one had. It was a brighter shade of cerulean and it was smaller and lightweight, being used when Mindfang was about Vriska’s age. He stole it from her, and used it as his personal lusii killer due to the fact the blade was so sharp, fine, and accurate, it could split a hair in half vertically. The sword was perfect for Vriska, but it gave Dualscar a strange sense of déjà vu he couldn’t fully understand.  
Vriska made her way below deck, where it was eerily quieter compared to the havoc on the deck above. It was dark here, the lighting had gone out, so she could only make out the shapes of things close by. She held her sword up walking with it in front of her, prepared to strike those who might attack. It would be hard to tell the difference between the two crews so she just hoped she made the right call. There was the sound of crashing pans coming from the nearby galley; hopefully it was just the chef.   
She entered they galley, having some relief seeing there was proper lighting here. She looked around the galley seeing it was clear, but the door to the kitchen was wide open and yelling was coming from in there. Walking into the kitchen she saw the chef armed with just a meat cleaver as two men approached him with swords. She growled running up and taking one of the men’s heads off, it falling to the floor with a thud and rolling across to the wall. The other man watched the beheaded body fall to the floor, teal blood spurting from its neck. He glared at Vriska growling and lunged for her before gasping as a cleaver cut down the middle of his head, getting stuck halfway down the forehead. The chef, who held the other end of the cleaver, pulled the bloody utensil free, the man’s skull making a disgusting cracking sound. The body fell to the floor next to the corpse lacking a head, blood pooling around the two.   
“Thanks Lassy, ye saved me arse,” the chef laughed in a morbidly nervous manner.   
Vriska nodded looking the chef over with a concerned expression. The chef was clutching his right side, a good amount of burgundy colored blood dripping down his side and covering his hand. She looked at him worried taking a step closer which caused him to notice what she was looking at and sighed.  
“Lass I am fine. Nothin’ the doc can’t patch up,” he muttered managing a weak yet reassuring smile.  
“O-okay… did you see any more of the other crew down here?” she asked.   
“Y-yeah, a group about three of them went down towards the direction of the cargo hold,” he muttered. He opens up a cabinet and pulled out a heavy duty metal flashlight, handing it over to her. “Here, it’s dark down there.”  
She takes the flash light and whispers, “Okay, I am going to go after them. Be safe here.”  
He gives her a nod and leans against the counter as he watches her run off. Once back in the hall she turned on the flash light, making sure it was a dimmer setting so it wasn’t so obvious to the opponents she was coming. She gripped the flash light with one hand, holding it up by the side of her face, while she had her sword in the other. She took slow cautious steps as she descended the steps into the cargo hold. She remained calm and collected; it was just like going down to check on her spider mom back at her hive. Once in the cargo hold she quickly glanced around seeing nothing but crates and chests. Assuming they men left the cargo hold she turned to go back up to the hall, but was suddenly grabbed by the hair and pulled to the floor.  
Vriska grunted as she was slammed against the floor, banging her head on the wood pretty hard. She dropped flash light, it rolling off into the darkness behind some crates. Her sword landed beside her, and as she went to reach for it her hand was stepped on, cracking a few ligaments. She could hear the sound of her sword slide across the floor as it got kicked away into the shadows. She hissed in pain and anger lifting her head up to look, her vision a bit doubled from hitting her head but she could see a figure standing over her. It pointed a sword to her neck making her lay her head back down on the floor.  
“I got one!” an unfamiliar voice yelled.  
Another figure emerged from the shadows; he was holding a lantern so the darkness around them was lit up. The second one seemed out of breath and a bit on edge as he looked over at his companion. The first narrowed his eyes as he looked over the woman he had caught.  
“Shit! You got the fucking Marquise!” the second yelled.  
“Ah it can’t be her….. The fuckin’ Marquise doesn’t wear fuckin’ glasses. Besides…. This girl is too young to be that damn woman,” the first snarled.  
“But look at the clothes! The horns! The fucking eye! It got seven pupils! It has to be her!” the lantern holder snarled.  
“It can’t be! It must be her kin or somethin’,” the sword wielder retorted.  
As the two argued Vriska was looking around for a way to get out of this and back to her sword. She looked down at her steel toed scarlet boots and then at the groin of the one who stood over her. It was worth a shot, she thought and kicked up into the man’s groin with a direct hit. He groaned in pain falling into the man with the lantern, making him drop it. The lantern fell to the floor breaking, making their source light go out. Vriska took this opportunity to crawl over to a glow that was coming from her flashlight, which was behind a crate. She grabbed the flashlight, the bulb flickering and going out. Damn it, she thought hitting the flashlight against her palm, she really needed the light to find where her sword went off to.  
As she was trying to get the light to work, one of the men tackled her to the floor. She snarled struggling to get free as he worked his hands around her throat. The Serket looked at the flash light in her hand and hit him in the temple with it, the glass shattering into his skin. The man growled grabbing the side of his head in pain giving Vriska the opportunity to jab the end with the jagged broken bulb into his eye. He screamed in agony grabbing his face in pain, and to make things worse for him she punched him in the face making him fall back. She stood up taking the sharp heel of her boot and bringing it down on the man’s face with full force. The sharp heel buried its way into his skull, busting through into his soft doughy brain.   
Vriska gagged vomiting a little on the floor as she felt the brain squish under her foot. She shuddered gritting her teeth as she tried to free her heel from his head, which was stuck in the man’s skull. She tugged shaking her foot some, finally getting the corpse off her. She took a step back but slipped due to her one boot being slick and coated in blood. She grunted as she fell flat on her ass and one of her hands crushing against the wood as it tried to catch herself. She looked around only seeing dark shapes but nothing more.  
Vriska suddenly felt a powerful force hit her in the chest and she fell back on the floor. The sword wielder had kicked her in the chest and was now standing on top of her with one foot. She grabbed at his ankle with her hands trying to get him off, but it was no use. He snarled raising his sword above his head ready to bring the blade down into her skull. Vriska moved her hands across the floor feeling for anything that she could be able to use to defend herself with. Her hand landed on something sharp, slicing her palm open, causing her to hiss in pain before realizing it was her sword. She grabbed the dull side of her sword pulling the weapon to her giving her the chance to now grab the hilt. With a swift swing, she sliced the man’s leg in half making him fall over with a loud scream.  
“YOU BITCH! YOU FUCKIN’ BITCH!” he screamed grasping at his bloody nub of a leg.   
Vriska stood up breathing heavily as she clutched the hilt of her sword a bit shaken. She looked down at the man raising the sword over her head and crashing the sharp tip down into his head. She looked away as she pulled the blade away from the corpse, blood squirting out of the head wound. She huffed taking a step back to catch her breath before turning and walking back up the stairs.  
The Serket girl walked back into the hallway, it was much brighter now. Suddenly she crashed into the wall then onto the floor as the ship went back to a level position. The two masts must have gotten untangled, she thought as she slowly stood. When she stood she saw another figure that had been lying on the floor in the hallway, slowly stand. She growled walking up to it with her sword ready to strike at it with full force, however she froze though as she looked the troll over, it was a woman pirate. The woman held up her hands surrendering to Vriska; she was bloody with multiple bruises and lacerations all over her.  
“Please…. I surrender… I … I am not going to do anything… I … I got lost from my group and was looking for bandages…. Please… I am not going to do anything… Don’t kill me…” the woman pleaded.  
Vriska gritted her teeth contemplating what to do with her. She didn’t want to kill the woman, she didn’t seem like a threat, but then again Dualscar said to kill anyone who wasn’t of their crew. Vriska sighed and looked at the woman with apologetic eyes.  
“I am sorry,” Vriska whispered and plunged the sword through the pirate woman’s heart.  
The woman let out a sickly gasp her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she crashed down onto her knees. The blade slid out of her body as she collapsed, covered in a thick cerulean blood. Vriska bit her lip looking down at the female’s face, it was wide eyed and in a look of heart break. The Serket sighed crouching down beside the girl and dragging two fingers over her eye lids, closing them. The girl was a little younger than Vriska, by about a sweep or so. Vriska stood and closed her eyes shaking her head upset with herself.  
“I’m sorry,” she whispers and begins making her way back on deck.  
The deck was a lot calmer now as the crew got to collecting themselves and catching their breath. The sky had finally cleared up and the sun was slowly peaking from the clouds. The other ship was now being raided by some of Dualscar’s men, and the other crew was nowhere in sight other than their bodies on the ground, that were being collected and thrown overboard. Dualscar was on the bow of his ship wiping off his hands after throwing the last of the tentacles from the beast into the water. A crew member saw Vriska and walked up to her with a bit of a smirk.   
“Ye look like shit, Lass,” he chuckles patting her shoulder.  
“Shut the fuck up, you idiotic pig” she said in a monotone voice giving him an unamused glare and a raised middle finger.  
The other crew members who saw this let out a wrigglerish ‘Ohhhh’ and laughed at the one who antagonized her. He looked around flushing some as he was demeaned by the much smaller girl and now his own crew members. He backed up and retreated over to the railing to look out at the ocean, too embarrassed to talk to anyone. Vriska walks up to Dualscar, who was looking through the crosshair scope of his weapon. She gently taps him on the shoulder to get his attention, and he turns to look down upon her.  
“Oi, Vwris. Ye okay, Lass? Ye look beat…. Wvhat happened?” Dualscar asked brushing some hair that was plastered to Vriska’s forehead with sweat to the side.  
“Yeah, I’m fine Captain,” she says with a soft smile. “There were some men but they are taken care of.”   
“Really? Howv many? Ye did it all by ye self?” he asks genuinely surprised.  
“Yeah. There were five of them, I killed four and the chef killed one,” she replies brushing some more of her hair from her face.  
Dualscar nodded furrowing his brows before grabbing her sword and sheathing it so he could grab the girl’s hand she was using to wipe her hair away with. Three of her fingers were snapped backwards in a gruesome looking way, plus she had her cut open palm. She gasped, she hadn’t even realized she had bent her fingers back, she never even felt that pain.  
“Wvhat happened to yer hand?!” he asked looking at it.  
“I… I don’t know… it must have been when I fell…. I didn’t even feel it….” she replied looking at him concerned.   
He sighs chuckling a little, “Must have been yer adrenaline kicking. This can be easily fixed. Let’s go to the infirmary.”  
He puts a hand on her back and guides her down towards the infirmary. He stops upon seeing the dead woman in the hall and looks over at Vriska with a remorseful expression. He pats her back and walks around the dead girl carefully.  
“Ye did the right thing Vwris. Sometimes wve do things wve regret but the choices wve make, make us wvho wve are. Ye followved me orders, ye respected me as a Captain and that makes me vwery proud of ye. Ye are a good girl…. A good pirate Vwriska. Be happy, be proud of yerself. That girl she wvas… just another obstacle… but ye ovwer came it. Ye showv yer potential,” he sighed giving her a weak smile.  
She nods with a morbid expression on her face before smiling back. “Yeah, you are right. Thanks.”  
The two get to the infirmary, walking in to see the doctor finish patching up the chef’s wound. Both the chef and doctor smile at Vriska as she enters the room, Dualscar followed behind. The chef stood nodding to the doctor, then Dualscar, before leaving the room. The doctor looked at Vriska as she took a seat in a chair beside him.  
“What is the issue Vriska?” he asked.  
“Can you fix up her hand?” Dualscar asked, grabbing Vriska’s wrist and showing off the mangled fingers and sliced palm.  
“Oh… Yeah…” He looks at Vriska with a look for forgiveness. “I am sorry.”  
She cocks a brow, “Sorry for what?”  
The doctor looks at Dualscar, “Can you…. Hold her?”  
“Wait?! What!? Why do I need to be held!?” she yelled squirming away.  
Dualscar grabbed her wrist pinning it to the desk, his other arm wrapped tightly around her to keep her from struggling. The doctor sighed grabbing one of the bent back fingers and bent if forward a grotesque popping sound being made. Vriska screamed in pain struggling to get her wrist free from Dualscar’s grip. The doctor put a small splint on the fixed finger.   
“Ye are doin’ fine Vwris….Ye got twvo more….” Dualscar whispered trying to calm her.  
The doctor took the second bent back finger repeating the same process. Vriska hissed loudly this time, still squirming against Dualscar. The Captain stroked her hair, shoosh papping her, in order to calm her down.  
“Yer okay, just one more…” he said in a soothing tone.  
She nods hissing in pain and shutting her eyes tightly in preparation for this. The doctor snaps the finger back into position as fast as he could, making her whimper sadly. He puts a splint on her third finger and gets to just cleaning up the cut on her palm to prevent infection. Luckily it didn’t need stitches so he just wraps up her entire hand in bandages, wrapping each finger individually. Dualscar lets go of her and rubs her shoulders gently.  
“Ye did well; I remember the first time I bent me fingers back. I almost cried like a wvriggler, and that wvas actually wvhen I just bent them. Imagine howv I wvas wvhen I got em’ back in place,” Dualscar laughed.  
She looks at him rubbing her hand, “You? Orphaner Dualscar? Almost cried?”  
“Wvell that wvas before I evwen wvas the Orphaner… or evwen Dualscar for that matter…” he chuckled.  
“How old were you?” she asked.  
“Wvell…. Uh…. four swveeps…” he chuckled  
Vriska frowns, “Dualscar…. You were a wiggler… That makes me feel worse…”  
He chuckles, “Oh yeah…..”  
She gives him a flat expression and sighs, “It’s not funny…”  
“Oh Vwris, ye did a good job today,” he says standing putting a hand on her shoulder. “Go wvash up. Ye can wvear one of me tunics and pants if ye wvant. Ye deservwe a break from these clothes, plus they be bloody. ”   
She smiles some, “Okay, thanks.”


	11. National Treasure

Vriska stepped out of the shower wrapping a violet fluffy towel tightly around her to dry off. She had picked out a white long sleeve tunic and some black pants from Dualscar’s wardrobe to wear, having them neatly set on the bathroom counter. Once properly dried off she put on the shirt, the faint smell of cologne was engrained in the fabric, and it was strangely delightful for her. She then slid on the pants; they were quite loose so she tucked in the shirt to help keep them from falling, which hardly helped.  
She looked over herself in the mirror, the shirt was baggy and hung so low that most of her clevage was on display. She wasn’t about to walk around like that, so she dug around in the drawers of the bathroom counter until she pulled out a roll of medical bandages. She pulled up her shirt exposing her breasts; she was a lot bigger in that area than she thought she was for she hasn’t really taken the time in the past sweep to really admire her own looks. She took a long length of bandage from the roll, ripping it off with her teeth before wrapping it around her chest. Once she was properly covered she pulled her shirt back down, and tucked it back into her pants. She then took a short length of bandage to thread it through the pant loops making a makeshift belt. She looked at herself again in the mirror, deciding to do something with her hair. She ripped a thin piece from the bandage roll and used it to tie her hair back.  
Once properly dressed she smiled a little as she gazed at herself in the mirror. She sighed a little looking at her black lips and eye lashes, missing the artificial blue coloring she use to put on them. She ran a finger over her plum bottom lip; it was no longer chapped nor had cuts on it. Huffing through her nose some she looked away from the mirror going over to the bathroom door. Just as she opened it, Dualscar was standing there with his hand up ready to knock.   
“Oi, Lass, feel better?” he asked with a smile.  
“Yeah, a lot better. It was nice to get an outfit change,” she says with a smile.   
“That’s good. I wvill get yer clothes down to the wvashin’ room and get them clean,” he says with a smile. “I got somethin’ for ye…” he hands her the sword. “I think ye should keep this… sure it wvas Mindfang’s but I think yer better wvith it anywvay. Ye need a wveapon and this one looks good wvith ye.”  
She took the sword setting it down on the counter. “Thanks, it’s a nice sword,” she says with a smile before sighing some.  
“Ye okay?” he asked raising an eyebrow.  
“Yeah… it’s just….I miss my makeup…. It’s weird… The things you miss when you don‘t have them. It’s funny how something so small can…. Can make me feel a little sad,” she chuckles followed by a sigh.  
He sighs before smiling a little, “I think I can help.”  
“You have makeup? Is the Orphaner Dualscar secretly a drag queen?” she asked giggling.  
“Wvhat? No!…” he yells before groaning. “Come wvith me….”  
Dualscar walks over to his wardrobe and opened it up pulling out the old chest again. He opened it up and fished out a small cobalt blue makeup bag from it. He tossed it at Vriska and smiled softly, before turning to put the chest back in his wardrobe. He stood up straight and turned to look at her, who was analyzing the bag.  
“That should do the trick. It’s Fang’s old stuff, but I mean it is make up and I assume it is the color ye like… it is better than nothin’,” he says softly.  
Vriska looks at the makeup bag her eyebrow twitching slightly, something about this was pissing her off. She gripped the bag tightly in her hand, her fist shaking slightly in anger. She snarled a lip gritting her teeth so tightly if she applied anymore force she would break them. She glared up at Dualscar looking into his eyes with hatred.  
“Do you just have a Mindfang shrine or something? You give me her clothes, then her sword, now her makeup…. Are you trying to make me her? Trying to make me the Mindfang you want?!” she hissed.  
He frowns, “Vwriska…. No… that’s not it at all… I can understand if it’s upsettin’ that ye havwe to use the stuff of the wvoman that hurt ye, but I am not makin’ ye use this stuff because I wvant another Fang, fuck that’s the last thing I wvant… I am just tryin’ to accommodate ye… I don’t havwe anythin’ for a wvoman other than the shit Mindfang left behind… I am sorry ye are gettin’ her stuff… but … look… ye’re not her… ye wvill nevwer be her… ye are yer owvn person…ye are Vwriska and no amount of similar clothin’ and accessories wvill evwer change that….”  
She whimpers behind grit teeth and closes her eyes tightly turning her back to him. She held her arms and looked down at the floor tears falling from her eyes. She shook a little putting her hands over her face, it was embarrassing to cry in front of him. Dualscar’s fins drooped and he took a step towards her cautiously holding his hand out to touch her.  
“Vwris….” he whispered.  
Crying was now clearly audible as she shook more in grieving. He sighs frowning unsure what to do to help her; he had never really had to do anything like this. How could he deal with a crying woman? He didn’t have to handle these types of situations because he was on a ship full of men, and they never cried, well not in front of each other, alone maybe, and Mindfang never showed any form of sadness. He grits his teeth and leaned in putting a hand on her shoulder turning her body to face him. His firm arms wrap around her, pulling her into a tight hug resting his chin on top of her head between her horns. The tips of his fins flushed a slight violet along with his cheek as he put a hand on the back of her head petting it gently, mindful to keep his large rings from getting caught in her soft hair.  
“Vwriska…. Swveetie…. It’s okay…. Please don’t cry… ye make me feel like shit to see such a pretty girl cry… Don’t cry… it is okay…” he whispers into her ear.  
She sniffles looking away from him awkwardly, “I’m sorry.”  
“Don’t be… I can understand wvhy ye’re upset… evwerythin’ wvill be okay. Ye are a part of me crewv, and I wvill take care of ye… I wvill make sure ye wvill get back home safely…” he sighs.  
She looks up at him wiping her tears, and sighs, “Thanks…”  
He releases her from the hug and grabs her chin, “At next port before ye leavwe I wvill by ye some new clothes and an entire makeup kit, so ye don’t havwe to go back to yer hivwe in her clothes…”  
“No Dualscar…. I am fine…” she looks down at the makeup bag and smiles. “It will just be nice to have the luxury of makeup now.”  
The young Serket walks back into the bathroom, gazing upon herself in the mirror. She opened up the bag pulling out some blue lipstick, applying it to her lips. She then took off her glasses followed by grabbing some mascara and putting it on her eye lashes. She put her glasses back on and looked at herself in the mirror. She felt like her old self again, and she smiled at that fact. Dualscar saw her smile, and it warmed his sea weathered heart a little.   
“That is better,” she chuckles walking back up to him.  
“Good… nowv that all is good, I got somethin’ to showv ye. Come…” he said with a smile walking out of his room.  
Vriska followed behind him out of the Captain’s quarters and down the hall into a room she had not been in yet. The room was full of gold and treasures, a few men sorting through it, putting it different piles based on categories boons, gold, silver, gems, pearls, jewelry, etc. Vriska’s eyes widened at the sight of all the treasure, she loved treasure with a passion. Dualscar grinned at that twinkle in her eyes and lightly pushed her forward towards one of the piles.   
“Pick out yerself somethin’ nice. Ye earned it,” he whispered.  
She looked back at him, “I can’t … I can’t take your treasure.”  
“All members of me crewv get to pick out somethin’ for themselvwes wvhen wve get a treasure haul. That ship that attacked us wvas full of gold. Ye pickin’ out one thing wvon’t hurt anythin’ so get maybe some piece of jewelry… if that’s yer thing,” he chuckles.  
Her eyes grow wide and she smirks stepping forward to analyze one treasure pile for something she would want. She picks up a thick gold chain link bracelet that was lined with sapphires. She smiled putting it on her wrist, the gold contrasting with her light grey skin. Dualscar walked up behind her putting a hand on her shoulder.  
“It looks lovwely on ye,” he chuckles.  
“You think so?” she asked with a smile.  
“Aye, ye look beautiful,” he replies smiling.  
Vriska blushed slightly at that, no one had ever really said anything like that to her in a genuine manner. “Really? You think I am beautiful?” she asked looking up at him.  
He flushed a bit becoming flustered, “Wwell…um… wwell…Dinner is ready. Howv about wve go to the galley? Ye can sit at the Captain‘s table wvith me, ye earned it.”  
She smiles softly and nods, “Yeah I would enjoy that.”  
The Captain and his collogue made their way to the galley, the smell of freshly cooked meat filling up their nostrils. Dualscar took a seat at the head of the table pulling out the chair next to him for Vriska to sit. She sat down on the seat and gazed around the room being able to see everyone since she was at the head table. She felt really special that Dualscar had taken enough of a liking of her to let her sit with him already at the loyal table. The first mate sat down beside Vriska setting down a plate of fresh lusus steak in front of her.  
“I see you made it up to the head table, Vriska,” the first mate said with a smile.  
“Yeah, the Captain says I have earned it,” she replied taking a bite of steak.  
The first mate leaned in to whisper in her ear, “I think the Captain is… how you say… flushing on you.”  
She blushed, “I doubt it … I am a Serket…”  
“He is … kinder when you are around… and he smiles a lot now too since you came along,” the first mate chuckles.  
She blushes darker, “It must be coincidence.”  
“It isn’t. You’ve worked your charms on him. Not just anyone sits up at the Captain’s table,” he mutters with a smirk.   
Dualscar looked over, “Wvhat are ye twvo talkin’ about?” he asked with a raised brow.  
“Oh you know, I was telling her about your amazing lusii kills,” the first mate replied with a smug smirk patting Vriska’s back.  
“Oh yeah? The one today put on a hell of the fight, but none of them wvill beat me,” Dualscar said with a proud cocky grin.  
“Was that one gygolobobo or whatever it’s called? You know the Condescension’s lusus?” she asked.  
“I think ye mean Gl’bgolyb, Swveetie. And no if that wvas Gl’bgolyb wve wvould all be doomed. It wvas just a much smaller lusus from her but it was pretty big compared to regular lusii. It wvill suffice Gl’bgolyb greatly. Wve wvon’t be wvorryin’ about her for a wvhile,” he stated proud of his work.  
“Wait… the thing is seriously called ‘Glub Glub’… Why is it spelled so freaking weird?” she asked looking at him bewildered.  
He just laughs finding her blatant shock rather adorable. “Yep. Glub Glub. I don’t knowv much about the spellin’. All I care about is that she had a big meal…”  
She smiles and takes a bite of food, “Well that is good I suppose, who were those people who attacked us today?”  
“Just some pirates, wvho thought they could take a cheap hit at us. Wve showved them, they had a ton of gold. Ye did wvell,” he replied smiling, giving her a pat on the back.   
She smiles looking down at her bracelet tracing one of her fingers along one of the sapphires. The first mate nudged her arm with his elbow, wriggling his eyebrows as he sipped from a glass of rum. Vriska furrowed her brows blushing and shook her head in protest, the Captain would never want her. She assumed his kindness was him just being nice because she was a girl. The Serket stuffed her face with a slab of lusus meat and began chewing on the tender protein. Dualscar looked over at Vriska and smiled softly to himself, she was so sweet and innocent looking.  
After a little bit dinner was over and Vriska stayed back to help the chef clean up the messes and gather the dishes. Dualscar went to his room deciding to take a shower; he always did enjoy the cold fresh water over his gills. He stripped out of his Orphaner gear and looked over his self in the mirror, looking over his many scars with a sigh. Gritting his teeth he thought of all of the foolish mistakes and weaknesses he had that gave him these that faltered his mighty appearance.   
Once he finished up showering he got dressed in a simple black shirt and his purple and black pinstriped pants. He looked at his face rubbing a hand over his chin feeling his facial hair growing out; he hadn’t gotten a shave in a while. He always liked having clean shaven face so he didn’t look so wild and roughed, yet honorable and well kempt. He opened up a drawer pulling out a straight blade razor and sighed looking over the blade, he always hated doing this, and he always had someone to do this for him. His ear fins twitched perking up at the sound of Vriska outside the door, she was probably bedding down on her mat.  
“Vwriska?” he called out cracking the door open. “Can ye help me wvith somethin’?”   
“Um sure… what?” she asked standing up and walking to the door.  
He opens it up and looks down at her. “Do ye knowv howv to shavwe a face?”  
“Um I can try I suppose… why can‘t you do it?” she asked.   
“Wvell I did havwe a guy for it, but he is gone,” Dualscar replied.  
“What happened to him?”   
“Remember that guy I killed, the one wvho messed wvith ye?” he asked looking to the side.  
“Oh… I am sorry you had to kill him,” she replied feeling a bit bad.  
“Don’t be sorry. He disobeyed me. I wvould of killed me first mate if he did the same thing. I am a man of me wvord… but can ye do it? Me hands are too big to hold this tiny blade and I knowv I am going to stab meself by accident… I figured since yer a girl ye wvould havwe that… delicate touch… Ye knowv?” he said becoming a bit flustered.  
“Um okay…” she chuckled awkwardly.   
She steps in the bathroom going over to the counter and grabbing the straight blade. She looks at it blushing slightly before looking back up at him. “You trust me to do this? I am going to put a razor to your face.”  
“Aye, just be easy… Okay?” he muttered.  
She nods washing up the blade in the sink while Dualscar began to soap up his face. She took the blade to his face and gently ran the razor across his skin removing the hair. He took a deep breath tensing up, afraid of his stress disorder grasping him. She looked in his eyes reassuring him that everything was going to be okay, seeing that look in her eyes calmed him down greatly. After a bit she finished up shaving his face and she then got some water to rinse his face off, cleaning it up.   
“Thanks Vwriska, I hate doin’ that,” he muttered before smiling kindly at her.  
She smiled back and patted his shoulder. “Anything for you, Captain.”


	12. Racing with the Moon

It was the middle of the night when Vriska felt someone shaking her shoulder to wake her. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as she raises her hands up to stretch, seeing the blurred outlines of her fingers before reaching over putting her glasses on having her gaze fall upon Dualscar. She sat up rubbing her eyes from under her glasses with a loud yawn. Dualscar smiles down at her holding his ring covered hand out for her to take. She furrows her brows taking his hand as he helps her stand to her feet.  
“Dualscar… it is the middle of the night…” She mutters yawning again.  
“I got to showv ye somethin’!” he chuckles.  
“Is it so important you got to wake me up?” she asks.  
“Ye wvill like it…” he says with a smirk.  
She rolls her eyes giggling some, “This better be good.”  
Captain Dualscar led Vriska out on deck walking up to the bow of the ship looking out over the sea. Although it was the middle of the night the sky was light purplish blue sprinkled with sparkling stars. The waters were calm for the most part except for the many ripples caused by sea dwelling lusii jumping out of the water and diving back in. The waters were littered with tons of lusii minding their own business as they swam alongside the ship. Vriska smiled as the breeze blew about her hair while she enjoyed the view of the ocean.   
“Wow… this is… this is beautiful…” she states looking out at the ocean with a smile.  
He looks her over, smiling at the twinkle in her eye, he found it was nice seeing those big lovely eyes full of wonder and joy, not sorrow. “…Yeah it is beautiful.”   
Vriska looks over and smiles, “I always did love the sea.”  
“Wvhy do ye lovwe it so much? I mean wvhat’s not to lovwe, but it seems like the ocean holds some special importance to ye… Ye don’t havwe to share if ye don’t wvant to… I am just curious,” he replies.   
“Well, my hive was on this cliff that over looked the sea, so I would wake up every day to a gorgeous view… You see… I didn’t exactly have a loving lusus… so when I was upset… I would walk down to the beach… it was so calming… it made me happy again… it was just an escape from the troubles I had to face,” she sighs leaning against the railing.  
“Wvhat did yer lusus do?” he asked his face growing even more curious but in a somber sort of manner.  
“Beat me, yell at me, make fun of me…. Make me kill people,” she muttered under her breath.  
“Wvhat?” he asked furrowing his brow.  
“I had to feed her… if I didn’t I would end up the one on the menu… I didn’t want to but I had to learn that no matter what, this world revolves around killing. It is everywhere, it is nature, and to survive you got to kill. I didn’t want to die by her fangs so I forced others to face the same fate I didn’t want. She‘s gone now thankfully,” she sighs.  
“Wvhat happened to her?” he asks stepping closer.  
“I killed her,” she stated bluntly looking back at the ocean.  
His eyes widened a bit at that before putting a hand on her shoulder. “That doesn’t make ye a bad person. I mean I havwe killed many people and I havwe killed thousands of lusii leavwin’ grubs alone and orphaned…” he sighs looking up smiling a little. “Look up.”   
“Huh?” she looks up.  
There was a mass of white butterflies flying just above them as they migrated. Vriska smiled wide watching the swarm flutter down closer to them. The fluttering white wings of each butterfly almost gave an appearance of twinkling stars as the moon reflected upon their wings. Dualscar smiles at Vriska holding his hand up letting several of them land on him. He smirks bringing his hand down looking at five of them, who landed upon him, twitching their little wings as they took a break from flying.  
“Hold yer hand up, they wvill land on ye,” he chuckles as he holds up his pointer that had a happily resting butterfly.  
Vriska holds her hand up giggling as she feels them all gather on her hand. She brought her hand down smiling as they covered her left arm, one dispersing and landing on her nose. She giggles loudly as its soft fragile feet and fluttering wings tickle her face.  
“This is cool. Why are they all out here?” she asked looking over at him.   
He watches as they fly off him, smirking some. “Wvell they are all migratin’. They prefer to travwel at night to avwoid the gulls. I knewv ye wvould love this… I alwvays did.”  
“Maybe you are a softy after all. The great Orphaner loves little butterflies,” she playfully teased.  
“Wvhat’s wvrong wvith likin’ butterflies? Sure, I spend my time killin’ lusii and creatures but I don’t hate em’. I actually enjoy wvatchin’ the beasts. I just am doin’ a job,” he sighs. He looks over at her as a butterfly lands on her crescent horn, he smiles a little. “Ye just gotta enjoy the little things.”   
She looks at one of the butterflies on her fingers before smiling up at him. “Yeah this is nice… Captain?”   
“Aye, Vwriska?” he asked.  
“Why did you bring me out here?” she replied looking over at him.  
“Because I thought ye wvould like it,” he answered raising a brow.  
“Well I do like it, but why are you taking your time to show me things that I would like?”   
“I wvant ye to be happy here,” he said softly.  
“But why? I mean I get you want me to be comfortable here but I feel like you deliberately do things to make me smile, and whenever I am around you seem… happier.”  
“Is…. Is that a bad thing?” he asked his fins drooping some.  
“No, but how come I get like… special treatment and …attention?”   
“Because… I just wvant ye happy, because it makes me happy…..”  
“Why?” she asked furrowing her brows.  
“Because… I don’t knowv…” he sighs his fins drooping completely looking away.  
“Captain…” she says with a small yawn.  
“Ye can go back to bed if ye are tired. After all I did wvake ye up in the middle of the night,” he chuckles a bit sadly scratching the back of his head.  
“Yeah… I am going to go back to bed… are you going to come?” she asked frowning, seeing his feelings slightly hurt.  
“I need to stay out here and… think about some things… Please… Just go to bed,” he mutters leaning over the railing looking out at the ocean.  
“Um… Good night, Captain,” she whispers frowning.  
Vriska sighed turning away from Dualscar, the butterflies flying off her as she walked back to the Captain’s quarters. She felt like a little wriggler who just got sentenced away to time out in the quiet corner for doing something bad. She sulked her way onto her mat, lying down, and sighing in frustration with her actions. She didn’t mean to upset Dualscar; she was just trying to see if he would actually say he liked her quadrant wise. She frowned closing her eyes tightly, forcing herself into a comatose sleep hoping Dualscar would be happier tomorrow.  
Mindfang gripped Vriska by the hair and tugged her around roughly, grinning wide as her other hand held her cobalt blade. Vriska could feel her hands bound behind her back by an itchy bristle covered rope, as she was painfully forced down onto her knees. Her cheek was swollen and darkened cerulean, along with a large black eye. Blood streamed down from her nose and lip, as well from a thick gash on her arm. She was dressed in a flimsy filthy black tank top and ragged blue jeans again. Vriska struggled gritting her teeth in pain as Mindfang slid the blade across her cheek slicing the flesh open. She started screaming thrashing her body about more, Mindfang snarling and shaking her about by the hair.  
“Vriska!” she screamed in a twisted angered voice.  
“Please stop! No!” Vriska cried shaking her head.  
Mindfang shook her more yelling, “Calm down! Vriska!”  
The younger girl shut her eyes tightly and started sobbing, “Please! I don’t want to die!”  
“Vriska! Open yer eyes,” she screamed.  
“No! Please! Stop!” the scared girl whimpered as she began to tremble in fear.  
“Vwriska! Please…. Open yer eyes.”  
Now that voice was different than that of Mindfang‘s. She knew that voice. That voice belonged to someone who showed her a kind heart, and with nervous fear she slowly opened her eyes. There was darkness, before there was a face.  
“Vwriska,” Dualscar whispered shaking her gently by the shoulders.  
She looked at him nervously before gazing about the room seeing that she was still in Dualscar’s quarters. Vriska’s trembling soon ceased as she looked upon the face that had been treating her with kindness. She bit her lip lunging at Dualscar and hugging him tightly, her claws digging into his shoulder blades. She began sniffling, starting to tear up causing her to bury her face in his shoulder.   
“Shhh it’s okay… It wvas just a nightmare. I got ye. It is okay Vwriska. I got ye, lass. Don’t cry, evwerythin’ is okay. Shhh it wvas just a dream,” he said softly stroking her hair.  
“She… she had me… It was so real… I could feel the pain,” she whimpers gripping the back of his shirt tightly.  
“It’s okay… I wvon’t let her take ye… It is okay,” he whispers to her.  
She moves some so she could look at his face. “She… she… she was going to cut my head off….” she whimpered sadly.  
He frowns grabbing her gently by the sides of her face, “Oh Lass… Swveetie… I wvould nevwer let her do that to ye. I promise… I am gonna protect ye.”  
Vriska nods her eyes shifting to the floor; she could still feel the pain in her cheek from when Mindfang’s cobalt sword slid across it in her dream. The poor girl had never known such fear, had never shown such emotion to anyone. Emotions were bad! Fear was bad! Regret was bad! Self-expression was bad! Friends were bad! Or… at least that was what she was raised to know, but after everything she had been through, that confident prideful girl just wanted a shoulder to cry on, so she can sob out everything she had been repressing for sweeps. Everything hurt, everything was painful as the Pandora’s Box filled with all her sorrows, regrets, pain, hate, worries, paranoia, fear, depression, anger, and denial opened up and showed her everything she had been feeling. She hugged Dualscar tightly again and began sobbing on the worried sea dweller.  
“Vwris?…” he muttered sadly.  
She pulls away placing her hands over her face and began hyperventilating as an anxiety attack took hold of her. Her fingers found her hair at the top of her head and gripped it tightly pulling on it. Her form shook and trembled, her teeth gritting as every exhale became a light growl. She felt like she was experiencing every horror in her life all over again, beginning to hate the person she was. She hurt people! Hurt people she thought of as friends! She broke hearts, broke spines! She was a terrible person! She hated herself! She loathed herself! She wanted to die! She was just as bad as Mindfang, she was evil, and it took rape and abuse to make her open her eyes to what a horrible monster she was.  
“Kill me…” she muttered into her hands, the words muffled.  
He moves her hands so he can look into her eyes. “Wvhat wvas that?”  
“Kill me Dualscar…” she whispered.  
“Wvhat?! Vwriska… Evwerythin’ is okay… things are good… I am not gonna kill ye…” he whispered hugging her tightly.  
“Please… I… I am a monster!” she cried pulling away from him.  
“NO!” he growls pulling her into his arms resting his chin between her horns. “Ye are not a monster… Ye are just sad… and hurt.”  
“I am too! I hurt people!” she cried clawing at her arms.  
“Yeah…. So havwe I!” he whispers gripping her wrists so she couldn’t hurt herself. “Please don’t hurt yerself.”   
“I broke my friend’s spine, blinded another… I… I killed one… she came back… but I still killed her in cold blood,” she whimpers.  
“Yeah… and I can understand wvhat ye are feelin’, but dyin’ wvon’t make anythin’ better… Ye got to forgivwe yerself… before others do…” he whispered pulling away some to look in her eyes.  
She sighs looking down biting on her lip. “I am evil…”  
“No yer not. Swveetie… Look at me,” he says as he grabs her chin making her look at him. “Ye can’t hate yerself! Ye can’t givwe up… if ye do… ye are only lettin’ Fang wvin. Those men wvho hurt ye wvin. Yer lusus wvin. Anyone wvho has made ye feel like shit wvin. Ye don’t wvant that do ye?” he said in a stern serious tone.  
“I… um… No…” she sighs.  
“Evwerythin’ wvill get better. Ye are a strong, bravwe, smart… beautiful girl. Ye got to embrace the things that make ye special instead of festerin’ on the mistakes ye havwe made. Wve all fuck up! I am the king of fuck ups! Believwe me… Smile princess, ye’re perfect,” he says loudly in a strong tone.  
Vriska looks into his eyes and nods managing a soft weak smile for him. Dualscar lets go of her completely and smiles back at her before standing up. He walked over sitting on the edge of the bed looking down at her, analyzing her face to see if she truly was okay. The young girl lays down on her mat curling up a bit, worried if that if she closed her eyes and fell asleep she would only see Mindfang’s face again. Dualscar sighed seeing this and stood up again moving towards her cautiously. He leaned in pulling her into his arms and lifting her up bridal style walking back to his bed.   
“What… what are you doing?” Vriska muttered looking up at him surprised.  
“I think it wvould be better if ye slept in me bed wvith me. Just so I am right there if ye havwe a panic attack again. Don’t wvorry… I wvon’t try anythin’ stupid… I just wvant ye to feel safe and I think havwin’ me right there wvould help,” he said softly as he laid down on his bed with her in his arms still.   
Vriska didn’t argue with this, actually agreeing with his logic regarding this. She scooted a little away from him once they were lying on the bed so they weren’t so awkwardly close. She did feel a great amount of tension vanish though has she closed her eyes slowly. This bed was really comfy and she reached out pulling a lusus fur blanket over her. Dualscar smiles seeing her relax and lies on his side with his back turned to her so he could get some sleep for himself.  
It was nearly noon of the next day when the crew began to wonder why their Captain was still sleeping, this wasn’t like him, he was always the first one up. Deciding to go wake up Dualscar, the first mate made his way down into the Captain’s quarters. He smirked wide chuckling to himself at what he saw when he opened the door. Dualscar, who hasn’t slept next to a woman in a long time, was on his side and had Vriska curled up next to him holding her close to his chest. One of his hands was tangled through her hair on the back of her head and the other was on her lower back tightly compressing her to him. Vriska, who was also out cold, didn’t seem to mind this at all, and actually had one leg wrapped up around his. The first mate grinned walking around the bed and up to Dualscar, poking him in the side of his nose.   
Dualscar groans opening his eyes barely, “Wvhat?!”  
“So uh… what’s going on here?” the first mate said still with a wide grin, trying to hold himself from laughing.  
Dualscar gave a confused look before his eyes opened entirely, a dark violet blush crossing his face. He immediately let go of Vriska, who rolled over on her side, too deep in a sleep to really care. The Captain sat up on his bed, and looked at Vriska then the first mate in an aloof manner as if he wasn’t just doing that.  
“It’s not wwhat… it’s not wvhat it looks like,” he says coughing to change his tone from embarrassed to stern.  
“It isn’t? I mean I don’t blame you. Gives you a reason to sleep in,” the first mate chuckles.  
“She had a nightmare about Mindfang followved by a panic attack… I needed to coax her,” he sighs through his gills running a hand through his wild bed crazy hair.  
“Oh? Is that so?” the first mate asked crossing his arms.  
Dualscar gets off the bed and looks face to face at the first mate. “That girl is really damaged by wvhat Fang did… She wvanted me to kill her last night… I wvanted her to feel… protected,” he whispers.  
“Oh… I see…” the first mate said frowning.  
“Wve just need to showv her… she is more than just wvhat Fang made her feel like…” Dualscar mutters.  
“Yeah… You … You really do care about her, don’t you, Captain?” the first mate asked in a soft tone.  
Dualscar furrows his brows and scowls some, “Wvhat are ye gettin’ at?”  
“I can just see it… You are attached to her… and I am not meaning you are red for her or anything like that… you are just fond of her…” he says cautious with the words he used.  
Dualscar sighs looking over at Vriska who was still passed out on the bed. Her long hair was spread across the pillows like a soft delicate spider web. Her hands were folded over each other resting by the side of her head, as she slept. A soft at peace expression remained on her face, her eyelids gently closed, and her plump blue lips pursed almost forming a small smile. Her small form rose and fell against the bed in a heap with each small breath. The Captain sighed turning to look at the concerned look of his first mate.  
“She is… special… but misunderstood. I need to showv her… her potential,” Dualscar said softly.  
“You aren’t going to let her hurt you right?” the other asked.  
“It wvill be me owvn fault if I get hurt…” the sea dweller replied. “Go back on the deck, I wvill be up in a minute… I got to get me clothes on.”  
“What about her?” the first mate asked looking over at Vriska.  
“She wvill rise wvhen the time comes…” he replies grabbing his cape.


	13. Next

It had been about a month since Vriska had joined the crew of the Orphaner Dualscar. Things have improved greatly in contrast from the bumpy start she had in the beginning. The crew accepted her as one of their own and for once in her life she felt like she truly did belong somewhere. She got along well with the others, and they all enjoyed having her around. Dualscar was happy to see Vriska grow and blossom into the person she was meant to be, that was all he had ever wanted for her.  
After a long while at sea the crew finally made port at a large clockwork town. It was a nice cool evening and the town was surprisingly bustling with life and beautiful lights cascaded through the streets. All of the men rushed down the plank and off the boat making their way to the bar eager to see women and drink booze. Dualscar just sat on the railing of the bow of his ship watching as all of them left in a joyful array of laughter and cheering as the crew flooded into a bar.  
Vriska walked up behind Dualscar and tapped his shoulder smiling at him. “Hello Captain,” she said in a soft tone.  
“Oi Vwriska. Are ye not goin’ to join the crewv ashore?” he asked looking down at her.  
“Oh I will, but I was going to wait for you. You are coming to the bar, right?” she asked with a smile.  
He grins, “Of course, Lass. Let’s go get drunk…. I knowv ye wvill probably be departed by mornin’ so the crewv and I wvant to at least make yer last night wvith us fun. The men and I havwe really enjoyed ye as a part of the crewv… it’s a shame ye got to leavwe us…”  
She sighs looking out at the ocean away from the land. “I know.”  
“Yeah… I am speakin’ for evweryone wvhen I say wve are gonna miss ye… Ye really made yerself a part of our ship… Ye need to stay in contact wvith me… Ye can go on a vwoyage wvith us again any time ye wvant, ye wvill alwvays be a part of the crewv…” he replied with a sad smile.  
“Yeah,” she mutters slumping against the railing of the ship with a huff.  
He looks over at her his ear fins perking up slightly as a sly grin crossed his face. “Ye don’t wvant to leavwe us, do ye?”  
She looks at him sadly and shakes her head, “No…. This is what I have always wanted.”  
“Then don’t go… I am not the one kickin’ ye off the ship, ye are… I honestly…” He steps closer to her, grabbing her chin looking into her eyes. “Wvould prefer if ye stayed…”  
“But… there is someone waiting for me back home…” she sighs looking back into his eyes sadly.  
“If they wvant ye to be happy, they wvouldn’t care if ye stay… just a longer,” he replied smirking some.  
“Yeah… but Dualscar… it’s been over a sweep since I have seen him…” she says with a frown.  
“Him?…” he asks his fins twitching a little angrily.  
“Yeah… my kismesis …” she replies sadly.  
“Oh yeah…. Yer kismesis… he yer only quadrant?” he asked raising a brow.  
“Yeah.”  
“Then wvhy should he be so upset yer gone… Please at least do one more vwoyage wvith us… I knowv ye don’t wvant to go yet, so stay…” Dualscar stated bluntly.  
“But I promised him I would come back…”  
“And ye wvill. I promised ye I wvould get ye home and I wvill, but let yerself be happy and be wvhere ye belong… Come on Vwriska, I knowv ye wvant to,” he chuckles.  
She sighs before smiling a little. “You’re right.”  
“Great! Wve wvill havwe a bigger celebration nowv!” he laughs before settling down into a soft smile, leaning in some as if he was going to kiss her.  
“Hey Captain! Aren’t ya gonna drink with us!?” yelled a crew member from the shore.  
Dualscar turns and sighs, “Yeah be there in a minute…” He turns back to Vriska and smiles. “Let’s go. They are hopeless wvithout me.”  
“Aye Aye Captain,” she chuckles.  
Dualscar puts an arm around her shoulder and leads her down the ramp and onto shore. Vriska wobbled a bit as she stepped on solid land; it had been more than a sweep since her feet haven’t felt the rocking motion of waves below. Dualscar chuckles at her as she walked like a new born calf seeing her cautiously take her steps for she was afraid to fall on the ground.  
“Lost yer land legs, Vwriska?” the old Captain laughed.  
“Don’t make fun of me,” she snarled before giggling.  
After properly getting her footing, she walked with him to an old piratey bar. As they entered the roar of laughter and cheers could be heard from the men who got to drinking, spending their gold and treasure they had collected from their travels. The crowd of men looked at Dualscar growing silent as if they were expecting some sort of news. The sea dweller Captain grinned at the group walking over to a few bar stools, letting Vriska sit on one, and him sitting beside her.  
“She is staying!” he roared laughing.  
The men cheered clanging their glasses of beer together in celebration of the news of their female acquaintance. Vriska looked over at Dualscar with a small smirk and raised eyebrow. Dualscar yelled at the bartender ordering the two of them thick mugs of sudsy booze.  
“You had this planned…” she chuckled at him.   
“Wvell the crewv wvas sad to hear ye wvere leavwin’ so they begged me to persuade ye into stayin’. Plus wvho is gonna shavwe my face wvhen it gets scruffy?” Dualscar laughs.  
She smiles giggling a little, “Is that all I am good for? Shaving your facial hair?”  
“Hell no! Ye are one of me best crewv members I got! Ye are an excellent sailor and ye are swvift wvith yer saber… Ye are a vwaluable crewv member,” he replied before taking a giant swig from his drink.  
“You really think so?” She asked smiling wide.  
“Yeah. Of course I do…” he replies softly.  
Vriska smiles wide before grabbing her glass and downing half of it in one go. Dualscar chuckles at her taking another sip from his glass before looking out at the crowd who was hooting, hollering, and flirting with women. Vriska noticed two of the men making some woman who had been in the bar a little uncomfortable.  
“Dualscar,” she said sternly.  
“Wvhat is it, Lass?” he asked looking over at her.  
“Your men won’t hurt anyone right?” she asked in a dark tone.  
“No… they knowv not too…” he answered.  
“What about women? They won’t take them by force?” she asked with great concern as she watched the two harass the poor girl.  
Dualscar looks over seeing this happen, and yells, “Oi! Leavwe her alone ye scallywvags! It is obvwious she don’t wvant ye!”  
The two men walk over to Dualscar sighing like to wrigglers in trouble. “Sorry Captain, we just be a bit frisky.”   
Vriska rolls her eyes at that and downs her drink. “It still isn’t right. There are whores for that shit.”  
“Yeah yeah…” one of the men mutter.   
The other chuckles some as he watches Vriska down her drink. “Woah lass, take it easy. Ye don’t want to get crazy drunk.”  
Dualscar raises both his eyebrows and scoots away some deciding to just drink his beer. He knew Vriska was going to react harshly to that and he didn’t want to get stuck in the crossfire. Vriska narrowed her eyes at the two men her hand gripping the mug so tightly it cracked before breaking, booze and glass splattered all over the bar counter. Dualscar put a hand on her shoulder trying to calm her down a little, her fist unclenched some.  
“I can out drink both of you lily livered bastards so don’t even talk about how much I can and cannot drink,” she scoffed.  
One of them chuckled, “Ye sure? We’ve been drinking longer than ye have existed.”  
“Yes, damn sure I can!” she growled.  
Dualscar decides to come between them. “Look Lads and Lassy…. Instead of bickerin’ like ninnies about wvho can drink more…. Let’s havwe an actual competition.”  
Vriska smirks laughing, “I like the sound of that!”  
Three large barrel kegs were brought out and set down on a table in the middle of the bar. Everyone, even trolls who weren’t apart of the crew, gathered around and watch as the contest unfolded. Once Dualscar gave word the three began drink, filling up large glasses with beer from the barrel. Vriska kept on downing each glass she filled in one gulp, the drink in the barrel soon diminishing. Soon enough, after a few barrels the two men were stumbling about drunk off their ass and Vriska was just sitting in her seat giggling. Dualscar walks up to her holding her hand up while declaring her the winner of the drink fest. The crowd cheered surprised that she could really hold her own.   
“Yay! I did it…” she giggles leaning against Dualscar a bit tipsy.  
“Vwriska, ye drunk?” he laughed.  
“No… Trust me… You would know if I was drunk,” she giggles standing up.   
Vriska stretches and steps outside on the dock to get some fresh air away from the drunken stupor in the stuffy bar. She sits on the dock with her red boots dangling over the edge swinging back and forth. The girl looks down at the reflection of her and the stars in the water. She burps a little feeling the beer come back up, she shouldn’t have drank too fast. Dualscar comes out and sits by her offering her a flask full of rum.  
“Wvant some? It’s better than anythin’ they are servwin’ in there,” he chuckles.  
Her face turns blue at sight of the rum and she hunches over puking in the water. Dualscar laughs holding her hair back and patting her back as she expels all the alcohol and other contents of her stomach. She coughs wiping her mouth clean with the corner of her armored dress. She sits up looking at him before just laying back on the dock staring up at the sky.  
“Ye okay, Vwris?” he asked lying beside her.  
“Yeah… a… okay…” she pants.  
“Are ye drunk nowv? Or where you just decidin’ to chum for the fish? Nighttime is the best time for fishin’,” he asked laughing.  
“No… I just drank too much too fast,” she laughed huffing.   
“So ye wvill be okay, right?” he asked.  
“Yeah,” she replies sitting up.  
He stands up looking down at her with his large hand out for her to take. “Care to wvalk the beach wvith me?”   
She smiles taking his hand. “Sure, I would like that.”  
Dualscar escorts Vriska down to the beach smiling as the breeze made his cape whip around. The salt air ran over his scarred face causing him to sigh some through his gills, growing a bit somber as he looked out at the ocean. Vriska looked up at him her expression looking a bit sad as she noticed a change in him.  
“You okay, Captain?” she asked.  
“Ah it’s just the fish in me wvants to swvim…” he laughs.  
“Then go swim… I can just wait here. I don’t mind…” she replies.  
“Ye don’t mind wvatchin’ me stuff?” he asked.  
“No. Go on, I’ll be here,” she chuckles.  
He kicks off his boots and strips down to just his pin striped pants, not really bothered to get those wet. Vriska sits down in the sand kicking off her boots as well, deciding to wiggle her little toes down into the sand like worms. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the clothes fall down beside her so she looks up, blushing slightly as she sees him. She had never really realized that he was attractive, and so well built. Also she had never expected him to have tattoos, even though she couldn’t make out what some of them were due to the darkness of night. She would probably blow a gasket if she saw the mermaid Mindfang on his arm.  
Dualscar walks out into the water, once waist deep he dives in, vanishing under the waves. Vriska watches some bubbles surface, tracking his movements as he swims under the dark waters. Her toes squirm in the sand more, she loved the feel of the grains in between her toes, and it had been so long since she had felt this feeling. Regardless though of how much she was enjoying the feel of sand and solid land, she always did love the sea, and that was a love that wouldn’t die out.   
Vriska looked down at her wrist as she traced one of her fingers around the sapphires on her bracelet. She looks up seeing Dualscar surface in the distance, running his fingers through his hair causing her to smiled a little. There was the sound of sand being kicked up as someone walked up to her which caused her to turn to see who it was. The Chef smirked, walking up to her and sitting beside her. He then raised an eyebrow at the sight of Dualscar’s clothes on the ground.  
“I knew it,” the Chef giggles.  
“Knew what?” she asked confused.  
“Ye are a siren! Ye seduced the Captain and ate him,” he chuckles.  
“I am not a siren! And I have not seduced him!” she scoffs crossing her arms. “He went for a swim.”  
The Chef chuckles, “I know, I know. Still I catch ye eyeing him over now and then, Honey.”  
She blushes snarling, “What are you talking about?”  
“Oh honey, ye don’t fool me. Ye have a thing for the Captain… I can see it. I ain’t blind, but hell if it makes ye feel better I got a thing for the Captain too. That man is fine,” he laughs looking out at the ocean.  
“Look I don’t have a thing for Dualscar… He is just my Captain,” she mutters.  
“Oh yeah. Why do ye call him Dualscar if he is just yer Captain? Ye would call him Captain, instead of being so casual,” he replies.  
She rolls her eyes scoffing, “That doesn’t make any sense. He is my friend, so I call him Dualscar, but I also call him Captain. I don’t like him more than a friend.”  
“Yer in denial, Hun,” he laughed.  
“No I am not!” she growls.  
“Then why are ye being so defensive?” he chuckles. “Don’t need to be embarrassed.”  
“Whatever! Shut up!” she hissed.  
“Woah, Hun. Relax… He likes ye too. I can see that also,” he titters.  
“First mate said that too a while back. Said Captain is fond of me… so he isn’t the only one who thinks so?” she asked.  
“Honey, everyone sees it. The Captain is sweet on ya. It isn’t just because ye have had a hard time or yer a woman. He likes ye… Ye have seemed to soften his heart,” he replied.  
She sighs, “I don’t know how I feel regarding him. I mean, he has been so nice to me and I like him as a friend, but I don’t know if I want to be anything more with him because of his past with Mindfang… I don’t know… Sometimes I feel like a Mindfang replacement for him…”  
“Vriska…. don’t be a fuckin’ moron… Ye are so much better than that sea cow… Ye are nice to us… She would push us around… Ye genuinely care about work… She would lay around… Yer body is a bomb shell… Hers is heading south, literally…” he laughs.  
“Oh… my god…” Vriska busts out laughing hard at that.  
“Well I am gonna leave ye be with that image in yer head. Have fun with the Captain… maybe ye two can skinny dip,” he giggles running off.  
Vriska shakes her head rolling her eyes as she watches the Chef run off back to the bar. She lies back against the sand yawning loudly as she gazed up at the constellations. She traced her finger up round the one that was Scorpio and then Aquarius, she smiles softly before closing her eyes. After a bit Dualscar found her asleep on the beach and smiled gently to himself picking her up, bridal style, after putting his clothes on. He carried her to the ship and into the Captain’s quarters placing her down in his bed. He smiles softly at her peaceful state, brushing some hair away from her face before he walks back to the plank to head back to the bar to see the others.


	14. Knowing

With the rise of the sun Vriska wakes up and got out of Dualscar’s bed, her body felt a bit sore from sleeping in armor. As she sat up on the bed she noticed a pair of clothes neatly folded up on the corner for her. She smiled grabbing the clothes and changed out of that uncomfortable battle dress, into the white tunic and black pants Dualscar left out. She headed out onto the deck seeing Dualscar, who smiled upon seeing her, leaning against the mast smoking on his pipe. He blows out some smoke giving the pipe to her, who eagerly took a long drag from it. She exhaled the smoke handing the pipe back to her Captain.  
“Oi Vwriska, howv did ye sleep?” he asked.  
“Good enough for sleeping in armor. You?” she yawned.  
“I didn’t sleep. None of the really men did. They like to spend all night drinkin’ and fuckin’. Sure, they wvould havwe a nap or pass out, but they wvould be back up for more in about thirty minutes,” he laughs.  
“Oh,” she chuckles. “I guess, I got all the beauty rest I need to worry about.”  
He smirks, “I don’t think that is an issue ye havwe to wvorry about, Lass … Nowv on another note…” He pulls out a big wad of boon bucks from his jacket pocket. “Ye can take this and go out and buy ye some newv clothes and stuff. Essentials and such, ye knowv?”  
“You don’t have to do that, Captain…” she replies surprised, even though about a month ago he said he would buy her new clothes.  
“Wvell I wvas gonna get ye some clothes, but I figured that’s somethin’ ye should do…” he laughed scratching the back of his head.  
He thinks back to a few hours earlier, Dualscar and his first mate were wandering through the local market in search of some supplies. Dualscar kept turning into every clothing section he found inspecting any woman’s clothes he saw. The first mate just watched his Captain act in this peculiar manner with just a small smirk across his face.  
“What are you doing?” he asked.  
“I wvanted to get Vwris some clothes. She just has Mindfang’s old outfit and she doesn’t evwen havwe any proper sleepin’ attire. I thought she wvould enjoy somethin’ newv,” the sea dweller replied looking over at his first mate with a small smile.   
“Captain, I know you mean well and love her…” Dualscar glared at him as he said that. “I mean… ‘care about her’ but buying her clothes can come off as a bit…. Creepy…” he replied.  
“Buyin’ her newv clothes is creepy? Wvhat do ye mean?” Dualscar asked raising an eyebrow.  
“Well, Vriska … is a woman…” the first mate stated.  
“So?” he asked still confused.  
“Women have different clothing needs then men…”   
“So? I wvas just gonna buy her some dresses, shirts, pants and stuff…” Dualscar scoffed.  
“Dualscar! Women …. Have breasts….. Vriska has breasts… Do you plan on buying her bras too? And…. Panties….” he whispered as if ladies’ undergarments were taboo.  
Dualscar’s eyes widened and he flushed some embarrassed. “Ye make a good point…. She should do this…”  
“You think?” the first mate scoffed.  
“Shut up…” he growled.  
Snapping out of his embarrassing flashback Dualscar looks upon Vriska with a small blush. He puts the boons in her hand and looks down at the docks seeing some of his men wandering around aimlessly. He looks back at her and smiles some; she just raises an eyebrow in confusion. He tucks his pipe in his jacket and walks up to her.  
“Come on, I wvill wvalk ye to the market…” he stated putting a hand on her shoulder.  
“Are you going to the market too?” she asked putting the wad off boon bucks into her pocket.  
“No I got me owvn errands to run, but I wvill havwe someone go wvith ye so ye don’t get attacked… Some people might think yer Fang and wvould wvant to hurt ye…” he replied.  
“Oh okay…” she sighed.  
As they walked to the market they passed by a slave auction happening on a little stage. There were only four low blooded women slaves lined up with shackles around their wrists, clothed in rags, and somber expressions carved across their faces. Vriska looked at them sadly then quickly walked up to Dualscar’s side staying close to him. He looks over to see what had spooked his little companion before frowning some.  
“I can’t believwe they still do that in public,” he growls.  
“What is going to happen to them?” she whispered.  
“Wvhatevwer their buyer has planned for them,” he sighs.  
“Will they become pail slaves?” she asked.  
“Let’s hope not… Hopefully they just get servwant jobs and become maids or bartenders… Possibly someone might buy their freedom,” he replied.  
“That happens?” she mutters.  
“It is rare… but yes…” he sighs.  
The two of them get down to the market seeing a few of his men already there. Dualscar looks over them deciding who would be the one to watch over Vriska and wouldn’t make her feel awkward. Seeing the doctor amongst the crowd he decided he would be the best one who could watch over her. The doctor and Vriska had become good enough friends so it wouldn’t be such a big deal.  
“Oi, Doc?” He called out.  
The doctor walked over, and yawned from lack of sleep. “Yes?”   
“Could ye be kind enough to wvatch ovwer Vwriska as she does some shoppin’?” Dualscar asked.  
“Sure thing,” the doctor yawned once more giving the other man a thumbs up.  
When the two left the remainder of the men there looked at Dualscar. “Oi’ Captain, why does she get to do her own personal shopping with yer money?” one of them asked.  
“She needs to buy stuff…” he muttered.  
“What kinda stuff?” they interrogated.  
“Wvoman stuff and garments….” he coughed.  
“Maybe we need some woman stuff and garments… Give us some money Captain,” they all laughed and chirped.  
“None of ye need some wvoman stuff and garments!” he shouted.  
“I do~,” the chef chuckled walking up.  
“No!” Dualscar snarled.   
Vriska and the doctor walked through the market together looking at the items on sale. She stopped at a clothing booth picking out some pants and t-shirts that were about her size. The doctor raised an eye at her choice of clothing, surprised she didn’t pick something more feminine in nature.  
“You aren’t going to pick out something more lady like? I figured being on a ship full of men you would want something girly,” the doctor states.  
“Eh… I prefer simpler clothes. Sure, normal dresses and stuff are nice and shit, but I don’t want to work in that. I prefer a simple t-shirt or tank top and some jeans,” she replies with a shrug.  
“Well, now that we just stocked up there will be some leisure time, don’t you want like a sun dress or something? I think you would look nice in one,” he chuckles.  
“Bluh…” she muttered paying for some clothes.  
“Come on, a cute girl like you should wear something to show off how attractive you are,” he laughs holding up an olive green sundress with butterflies on it.  
“Olive isn’t my color, I prefer cerulean… and I am not the biggest fan of butterflies… I mean I like them, but I wouldn’t wear anything with them on it,” she chuckles.  
He pulls out a blue dress and snickers, “This one then.”   
“Doc, no. Quit pushing your dresses on me,” she laughed.  
“Don’t you want to find a guy? Looking attractive in one of these would help, not that I am saying you are not attractive already. A dress would enhance your beauty, you know?” he replied.  
“I am not really on a man hunt…Besides I don’t need to wear dresses like that around the crew. I don’t want them as my suitors… I guess when the right one comes I will know,” she states shrugging as she picks out some bras.  
“How do you know when a man is the right one?” he asked stepping up to her.  
“I don’t know, yet. I don’t know what being loved is like,” she muttered as she turns to look at him.  
The doctor bites his lip before leaning in and kissing her gently on the lips. Vriska’s face flushed bright cerulean, frozen in utter shock about what was happening. Dualscar was walking through the market, looking for the doctor deciding to give him some boons to buy medical supplies with, when he saw them. His fins drooped entirely in sadness and he grits his shark teeth in pure anger, but he didn’t know why. He felt betrayed, like when he once walked in on Mindfang with the Summoner back in his earlier days as the Orphaner and with his black romance with the sea hag. He then sighed with a frown, turning around and stomping away out of the market passing his men as he made his way onto his ship, and into his room where he locked his door. He then sat down on his bed and began drinking a bottle of rum. Vriska pulled away shaking her head with a sad shocked look on her face.  
“Doc, you are a good guy and a good friend, but I don’t feel that way about you,” she muttered looking down.  
“Vriska… I am sorry…” he mutters. “… I… I just miss my matesprit…” he sighs.  
“I’m sorry, but I am no good for you… You will find a girl who is just as good as your old matesprit,” she sighs.  
“Don’t tell anyone that happened…” he muttered.  
“I don’t plan on it,’ she replies turning her back to him.  
After Vriska had finished up her shopping she boarded the ship, the doctor followed behind her from a distance. She departed from him going to the Captain’s quarters and him going to his office in the infirmary. With one hand, the other filled with bags, she turned the knob to the door of the room, only to find it locked. She frowned knocking on the door gently, only to hear grumbling and shuffling from inside the room.  
“Dualscar? Can I come in?” she asked softly.  
The door slammed open and he loomed over her holding a large bottle of rum. His expression was irritated with a faint violet drunken blush plastered across it. He snarled a lip looking down at her, followed by a low guttural hostile growl. The man didn’t say a word only stepping out of the way to let her in, even though he didn’t want to. She frowned feeling unsafe near him and cautiously went to her side of the room putting her stuff down beside her mat. He glared at her closing the door shut and locking it behind her before taking a big swig from his rum. She looked over at him, who had now moved sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at her the whole time.  
“Thanks for giving me boons for the clothes, Captain,” she muttered trying to obtain some normalcy in the room.  
“Wvhatevwer, mini Mindfang,” he scoffed.  
“Dualscar…. Don’t call me that!” she growled feeling hurt and offended by him.   
“Fuck. Ye. Cunt!” he snarled.   
“You are fuckin’ drunk!” she yelled.  
Dualscar stood up with a vicious snarl, walking up to her and pushing her up against the wall. He pinned her there, with just his forearm forcibly pressed up across her upper chest. She whimpered in fear struggling to free herself from his brute high blood strength. He leaned in close baring his fangs growling harshly in her face, showing no sign of the man she once knew, but a beast. She put a hand over his face in attempts to push him away from her, this only agitates him more. The beast slams her against the wall trying to disorient her, and to keep her from struggling. Her pulse quickens and her breath hitches as she lets out loud screams for help hoping one of the crew men would save her.  
“Shut up, ye fuckin’ bitch!” the beast roared slamming her against the wall again and again.  
“Help!” she screamed.  
There was a stampede of footsteps as a group of men rushed to the door banging on it. Vriska was their fellow crew member, and their friend so they would go out of their way to protect her. In a group effort they bust down the door and swarmed in throwing Dualscar off her. She fell to the ground as she was released and looked around in horror and fear as the men wrestled the beast. She slowly stood, seeing the beast’s glare fixated on her in utter hatred and anger.  
“It’s fuckin’ Mindfang! Kill that cunt! That bitch must die!” he roared.  
Vriska teared up looking down at the man she was once fond of, the man she once admired. The first mate, who was one of the men helping control Dualscar, ran up to her grabbing her face gently. He looked into her eyes seeing her fear and depression, his own eyes in a panic.  
“Vriska… What happened? Are you hurt?” he asked.  
She shook her head starting to cry as she pulled away from him, and backed away from everyone. She looked around in panic, an anxiety attack kicking in as she felt old emotional wounds open up again. She hyperventilates some her hands shaking slightly.  
“Vriska…” the first mate whispered approaching her.  
“Get me off this fucking ship!” she screamed.  
Vriska ran out of the room, away from the commotion, and down the boarding plank to the docks. The first mate chased after her, hot on her heels as he managed to get closer and closer to her. He grabbed one of her arms, bringing her to a struggled halt as he pulled her protectively close to him in attempts to calm her. She looked at him sobbing, continuing to struggle for freedom.  
“I want to go home!” she screamed.  
“Vriska. Please stop,” he whispered.   
“I am not going back on that fucking ship! To that fucking man! That fucking liar! I will NOT sail the fucking seas with him! Not with you! Not with any one!” she yelled slapping him across the face.  
“Vriska listen…He didn‘t mean it!” he yelled trying to get her attention.  
“That MAN! That MONSTER! Wanted to kill me!” she screamed. “I trusted him! I thought he was my friend!”   
“Vriska! That wasn’t Dualscar!” he yelled before frowning.  
“What the fuck do you mean that wasn’t Dualscar?” she asked, calming down some.  
“Well… he was drunk, so he was belligerent…” he replied.  
“Lies! I have seen Dualscar drunk! He is playful and fun! I have never seen him have that type of aggression!” she hissed.  
The first mate sighs, “Dualscar and I have been through a lot… I am one of his closest friends… and he would never deliberately hurt anyone… I know that… especially people he cares about without a good reason… except when he has an …. Episode.”  
“Episode?” she asked with furrowed brows.  
“Dualscar… has PTSD… and when triggered… he loses it… I guess in a drunken state he thought you were Mindfang… and it triggered him….” he answers with a huff. “I know Dualscar… I know how he feels about you… he really does care about you… He just… had a bad moment.”  
She frowns with a sigh, “What if next time he actually kills me? I mean we share the same room… What if he attacks me in my sleep?”  
“Then we will move your stuff to the study… Have a big room all to yourself… Look it is safer if you stay with us for now. You are far from home and if you run away now you might get hurt. I know the crew and I… and Dualscar will take care of you till we get closer to your home… All the men care about your safety for the most part. We wouldn’t want you hurt,” he sighs.   
She sighs, “Keep Dualscar away from me for the rest of the day… I might accidentally kick him in the bulge…”  
“Understood,” he laughs escorting her back on board.  
Vriska’s stuff gets moved into the study and she got to work making herself comfortable. The study was the equivalent of a library with book shelves lining the walls filled with old maps, scrolls and books. She set her mat up against the far back wall and laid down on it, deciding to just sleep, her body sore from being repeatedly slammed into a wall. As she closed her eyes there was a knock on the door, which caused her to get up with a huff. She was dressed in a white tank top and pajama shorts, she had bought from the market, finally happy to have her own sleeping wear. She slowly opened the door frowning at the sight Dualscar.   
“What?” she snarled looking at him.  
He sighs handing her, her makeup bag, “Ye forgot this.”  
“Thanks,” she huffed taking it from him.  
“I am sorry, Vwris,” he muttered.  
“I don’t care if it was an episode or not… you hurt me…” she growled.  
“I knowv… and I am sorry… I just lost it,” he sighed.  
“I don’t know what I did so wrong to upset you…” she scoffs.  
“Wvhat do ye mean ye don’t knowv?’ he asked.  
“Me looking like Mindfang never upset you before, or at least make you do that to me… I thought you were my friend…” she sighs.  
“Vwriska… just… I am sorry, okay! Please, just don’t hate me for this… Ye are me friend… I… I am just confused and upset about some shit I don’t really understand… I nevwer meant to hurt ye. Physically or emotionally… Lass… Sorry,” he groaned his fins flaring.  
“Dualscar… I just need to sleep. You do too… Just… we will talk tomorrow when we get back on the seas… Okay?” she sighs looking into his eyes.  
“Alright …. Good night Lass… I wvill see ye wvhen things get better…” he sighs scratching the back of his head. “I am gonna miss sharin’ a room wvith ye… I actually didn’t mind havwin’ ye as a roommate… ye made for good company…” he chuckles softly.  
“Yeah… Night Captain…” she mutters closing the door.


	15. Kiss of Death

A week passes after the Orphaner’s episode, and an odd tension still remained between Vriska and Dualscar. The crew could sense the bad vibes between the two and were unsure why the negativity was still going on, even Vriska, who had gotten over the incident found herself confused over Dualscar’s strange behavior towards her. She wasn’t sure why he was still upset, she told him she forgave him, she would have assumed he would have cheered up by now. At least he still allowed her to have privileges to his shower due to comfort and safety reasons.  
Tonight the mood was lightened up some as a full moon hung bright in the black sky which sent the spirits of the crew into a joy. Being relieved from duties for the evening the men sat out on the deck drinking, playing cards or dice, fishing, and even some were playing music on instruments. Lanterns cascade across the railings illuminating the deck with a delightful glow of flickering flames. Vriska, to get her mind off Dualscar, was playing poker with the chef and four other men, and kicking their asses at it too. The men weren’t as ecstatic as Vriska was, mainly because they were betting money and since she was winning she was taking all their boons. She enjoyed this; it was just nice to do something normal for a change especially now because of the tension Dualscar had.  
There was all of a sudden an ominous wind, but no one other than Vriska seemed to notice it. She looked around for a moment, seeing Dualscar hunched over the railing looking at the sea. She shrugged off the chill that ran down her spine and focused back on her card game with the guys. No one had noticed that there was a ship in the distance and it was headed for them. It was fast. It was evil.  
It was too late before the crew was alerted by the ship sneaking up on them, it was already beside them. Vriska’s heart sank at the sight of the other ship, it was Mindfang’s ship. The chef grabbed Vriska’s hand and pulled her behind him in a protective manner to hide her from the sights of the ones who had hurt her. Mindfang stepped on board Dualscar’s ship and smirked looking around at the men drawing their weapons, some even retreating below deck. Dualscar turned to face her and grinned wide walking up to her, seeing that familiar twisted face sparked an old flame inside him.  
“Oi, ye old wvicked wvhore. Wvhat brings ye aboard me ship?” he growled with a devious grin.  
“Hello Orphy, I wanted to visit me 8lack h8,” Mindfang laughs walking up to him.  
“Ugh don’t call me that ye putrid tart. Ye knowv it doesn’t help get me in the mood at all,” he growls wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing his body to hers.  
“Are ye sure a8out that?~” she teased.  
“Shut up wvould ye?” he snarled glaring down at her eyes with malice.  
“Make me~” she scoffs.  
He puts a hand on her neck and hisses, “Wvhy didn’t I just kill ye back in the day?”  
“8ecause ye knowv ye can’t and ye knowv ye nevwer wvill~” she sneers.  
He grunts, “Ye bitch….. Ye’re probably right…”  
She grabs the collar of his cape and snickers, “So since ye are stuck with me for now. What shall we do? It has 8een a while…”  
“Ye fuckin’ talk too much” he snarls.  
Vriska was peeking out from behind the chef watching the two do their black lover’s banter. It hurt some. Why hadn’t he killed her yet? Vriska and he had made a pact that when one of them saw her they would kill her. He should have strangled the life from her veins in her neck, and ended the wicked witch’s life, leaving her soulless form with a permanent shocked look engrained into her face. Dualscar looked over seeing Vriska peeking out at them, and it he only thought back to her and the doctor. He smirks; the bad man in him told him there should be pay back, even though the good man in him was still confused at why he was so upset over that. He looked back at the wicked bitch, who was staring up at him with a twisted blue lipped smirk, with her thin long spider fangs peeking out.   
“Wvhat we usually do, me hate~” he snarled leaning in kissing her roughly and hate filled on the lips.  
Vriska felt her heart drop into her stomach feeling all forms of grief and fury overcomes her. He really was a liar, he wasn’t a good troll, and there were no good trolls. She stepped out from behind the chef and stepped forward looking at the two, mainly Dualscar with a hurt pained expression. He broke the kiss with Mindfang and the grin faded from his lips and his face distorted from cocky appearance to an utter regret as he looked over at the pained girl. Mindfang looked at him with a smirk not yet realizing her, whom she presumed was dead, descendent was standing right before them. Noticing Dualscar’s attention had shifted off of her she grew irritated and looked over her mouth gaping as she saw what was like an old photo of herself from her younger days.  
“Ye… ye are fuckin’ alive? Ye have 8een here… this whole time?!,” the elder Serket snarled at the girl.  
“Mindfang… back off,” Dualscar sighed grabbing her shoulder.  
She looks at Dualscar hissing, “Why the fuck is she here? She is wearin’ my old clothes….” A wide smirk crosses her face. “Did ye miss me that much, Orphy? Ye been usin’ her for a little entertainment. Ye missed me so much ye needed to dress her up and use her as a gutter warmer… Apparently she makes for good entertainment, or that’s what me crew told me,” she scoffs with laughter.   
Dualscar growls, “That isn’t funny Mindfang…. I found her wvashed ashore and I took her in… I wvas delivwerin’ her home… treatin’ her better than ye evwer did.”  
She snarls walking up to Vriska and grabbing her by the horn. “This little 8ITCH… isn’t worth shit…”  
Vriska hisses in pain struggling as she was lifted up off her feet, dangling by her horn. The crew growls starting to charge towards her for hurting Vriska but they all stop, frozen. Mindfang smirks as she held all of them under her control directing them down below deck so only Dualscar, Vriska and her were left on the deck. Dualscar’s heart sank as he watched the girl in pain once more from the hand of Mindfang.  
“Please just let her go Mindfang,” he asked cautiously stepping forward afraid brash actions would cause harm to fall upon Vriska.  
“Why do ye care? She isn’t worth anythin’. Watch!” she growls throwing Vriska down on the deck.  
Vriska looks up at Mindfang quickly trying to get up on her feet, but a red steel boot stomps down on her spine causing a sick gasp to come out. Mindfang smirks flipping Vriska on her side and kicking her in the chest. Dualscar growled grabbing Mindfang by the shoulder and pulling her back as she delivered a kick in the little Serket’s left shoulder dislocating it. Vriska screamed out in pain, only making Mindfang laugh maniacally at the girl.  
“That isn’t right Mindfang! She is yer blood!” he yelled.  
“Pfttt…. Do I care?!” she laughed.  
Dualscar growls before smirking at her. “I guess ye are right~”  
He picks Mindfang up bridal style looking down at her with a wide deviant grin, causing her to giggle. He starts walking, carrying her over to the direction of his quarters, stepping over the wounded girl in the process. Vriska looked up at the two, tears welling up in her eyes, as she felt her heart break. Dualscar chuckled making a small turn over to the railing letting the soft breeze cascade over the two. Mindfang looked up at him a bit confused at why they detoured, but still had a smirk on her face.   
“Admirin’ the sea Old Man?” she chuckled.  
“No… just takin’ in this moment… it really is a shame...” he chuckles.  
“Huh what is?” she asked furrowing her brow.  
“This…” he laughs dropping her overboard into the water.   
She surfaces gasping, “WHAT THE FUCK!?”  
He looks down at her with a flaccid expression. “I renounce our black tides, Fang. Ye and I are no longer a quadrant,” he stated.  
He strolled over to Vriska and hoisted her up, looking into her eyes sadly. “Lass, I am sorry. Vwriska…. This is all me fault…”  
“Dualscar… I…” she muttered before pausing.  
Vriska looked over past his shoulder seeing Mindfang climbing aboard the ship. The woman was drenched and furious drawing her sword ready to kill Dualscar. Vriska grit her teeth running towards Mindfang grabbing her wrist to the hand that held the blade. The woman hissed, the two of them thrashing about as they struggled, fighting for control over the blade. Mindfang snarled punching Vriska in the face before tossing her over the edge. Dualscar ran over forcefully hitting her in the gut before jumping over to save Vriska. Due to her dislocated arm she was having trouble staying above water and she began sinking.   
“This is a start war, Dualscar! Ye are gonna pay,” Mindfang snarled before going back to her own ship and sailing off.   
Dualscar swam down in the water grabbing hold of Vriska and pulling her into his arms. He surfaced holding the girl close to his body with one arm the other starting to climb back aboard his ship. Once aboard he shook some of the water off him and quickly made his way below deck carrying Vriska in his arms. He went into his quarters setting Vriska down in the chair in front of his desk. The man looked sadly into her eyes as he grabbed her wounded arm and jammed it back into socket with a disgusting crack, causing her to scream loudly.  
“Vwriska… I am so sorry,” he whispered putting a hand on her cheek.  
“Why didn’t you kill her? She was right there… and you just kissed her… and you liked it… you wanted it…” she muttered looking away from him.  
“I… I don’t knowv wvhy, but I wvanted ye upset… wvell I do knowv wvhy…. Kinda…” he sighed.  
“Why? Why would you hurt me like that?” she snarled.  
“Because I… GAH!… I wvas really angered and… upset wvhen I sawv ye…. Ye and … and the doctor…” he muttered.  
“… What are you talking about?” she asked confused.  
“I sawv ye twvo kissin’ back at the market,” he sighed.  
“You did… Why would that upset you? That meant nothing,” she replied.  
“I don’t knowv wvhy it did but it did… I…I wvanted to get back at ye in a fit of jealously…. And I hurt ye…I did somethin’ that makes me disgusted wvith meself… Look… I am a man… I am stupid… I do stupid things and I don’t knowv wvhy… Wvhy did ye twvo kiss?” he whined.  
“Dualscar… the doctor kissed me because he missed his matesprit he lost… I didn’t want it; it just happened…I have no feelings at all for that man… You… you on the other hand… broke your promise to me” she scoffed crossing her arms.  
“Vwris… Swveetie… I knowv… and I… I didn’t mean it… it wvas just an act of stupidity… I don’t knowv wvhy I do stupid wvrigglerish things that I do… I just do…” he replied putting a hand on her shoulder.  
She sighs, “Dualscar … Is this why you have been so upset? Because of a kiss? Is this why you have been ignoring me? Avoiding me? Treating me differently?”   
“Yeah… I guess so… I am an idiot. Vwriska… I am sorry… Okay?… Please if ye wvant anythin’ I wvill givwe it to ye…” he replies.  
She shivers from still being in soaking sea water wet clothes. “Can I use your shower so I can clean up and put some fresh clothes on?”   
“Of course… I’ll get ye some of yer clothes for ye,” he replied.  
Vriska gets in the shower washing up, noticing her chest was pretty bruised up from the kicks she got. Dualscar quickly changed out of his wet clothes hanging them up to dry, and being a sea dweller his skin and hair had already dried. He changed into his simple commoner clothes and walked down to the study grabbing Vriska some black lazy pants and one of her tank tops. He cracked open the bathroom door just barely and set the clothes down on the bathroom counter. Eventually, she finished up changing in the clothes and walked out seeing Dualscar on his bed drinking some rot gut from a sliver flask with a skull and cross bones and the words Crazy Bastard engraved into it.  
She sits by him and sighs, “Are you going to share?”  
He sits up chuckling, “Of course Vwriska.”   
She takes it from him and takes a swig from the flask. “Thanks … I needed a drink.”   
“After tonight wvho doesn’t?” he chuckles lowly. “Howv’s yer wvounds?”   
“Better…. I just needed to wash up. Thanks for popping my arm back into place,” she sighs taking another swig.  
“I can get the doc to come and check that out for ye, if ye wvant,” he replies taking the flask from her and sipping on it.  
“No I am fine… you probably don’t want him around me anyways,” she teased stealing the flask back.  
He laughed awkwardly scratching the back of his head. “Shhh, let’s not talk about that…. I am a fuckin’ idiot… Wve’vwe established that…”  
“Yeah yeah,” she laughs taking a big swig.  
He pulls out his own bottle from under his bed sighing, “I am more wvorried about Mindfang anywvays…”  
“Ugh Mindfang,” she groans.  
“Ye knowv that she is goin’ to come back wvith full force nowv that I am no longer her kismesis,” he muttered.  
“Yeah… That was… amazing…” she laughed. “I can’t believe you did that… Did you do that to make it up to me?”  
“I’vwe been wvantin’ to do that for a long time… I guess ye finally gavwe me the guts to actually do it… Nowv dowvn to zero quadrants… but it isn’t all that bad… I don’t havwe to deal wvith starin’ romantically at her sunken in skull hollowv eyes anymore…”, he laughs.  
She chuckles, “Age has affected her greatly… The chef told me her body was heading south literally.”  
“Wvhat’s there to head south!? I mean there wvasn‘t much to begin wvith… I mean I am surprise howv full ye turned out to be evwen though ye are her descendent,” he laughed.  
She rolls her eyes giggling, “You are drunk.”  
“Am not. Besides drunk or not wvon’t change me opinion on that,” he mutters drinking from his drink.   
She lays back on his bed and lets out a deep sigh, “I hope Mindfang was just saying some cheap threats. I don’t want to deal with her, you know? She is just a pain in the ass…”  
“Oh… I knowv her… she wvilll be back… hopefully ye wvill be safely home before then… I… I am sorry I got ye hurt lass….” he sighs lying beside her.  
“We’ve been over this… you were just being stupid… at least it is not as bad as some of the stuff she has put me through,” she replies finishing off his flask.  
“Aye… still… I feel like shit…” he murmurs.   
She turns to face him and looks into his eyes. “It is okay… we all do things we regret…”   
He smiles and chuckles, “Yeah… I suppose ye’re right.”  
Vriska stands up setting the empty flask down on the edge of the bed. With a loud yawn she stretches out her limbs making all her sore joints pop and crack. She smiles down at her captain as he spread himself out across on his bed.  
“Sorry I drank all yer rot gut,” she giggles.  
“Pft. It’s just rot gut. I don’t care. Night Vwris,” he laughs.  
“Night Dualscar,” she says softly before exiting his room and going to her own to get some sleep.


	16. Season of the Witch

Three weeks pass on since the encounter with Mindfang, and, although things were good on the Orphaner’s ship, it was nearing the time Vriska would be departing to return home to her see her own dorky Ampora fellow. Though, on this morning Dualscar thought he would do one last lusii hunt before they would all head to shore. A thick white fog shrouded the ocean, making the water hard to see, and anything in the distance had disappeared under the white blanket. A chilled breeze blew through the air, and a strange utter silence hung in the area.  
For hours they analyzed the blurry water, which was only barely seen under the thick fog, before finally catching a glimpse a fairly large creature’s hide. It was serpent-like that could be seen by the jagged white scales and spines that lined its body as it dove in and out of the fog like a dragon flying in the clouds. Dualscar took four men and got into the life boat, paddling silently and slowly stalking the beast as it swam. Vriska watched from the crow’s nest of the ship with a high-powered spy glass, she got from the Captain’s quarters, to make sure nothing bad happened to the life boat and Dualscar.   
The sea dweller stood on the edge of the life boat with Ahab’s cross hairs in his hands. His finger went over the trigger twitching some as he aimed at the lusus’ body. Just as he was about to shoot the serpent, it rose its mighty head out of the water, revealing a familiar blue explosive dice encrusted in the bloody socket of its eye. Dualscar’s eyes widened as the die flashed a few times before obliterating the beasts head in a bloody explosion, capsizing the life boat from the sheer power of the blast. The Captain, being closest to the explosion, was now floating disoriented in the bloody water.   
Through blurred vision Dualscar noticed another boat approaching them, believing it was one of his own he reached his arm out towards it before noticing the ominous silhouette of the beldam standing in it. Two of her own men hoisted the dizzy sea dweller out of the water and up into her boat followed by binding his arms behind his back and putting a thick rope in his mouth to prevent him for calling out for reinforcements. He looked out at the water seeing his Ahab’s crosshairs floating away and out of sight into the white. Mindfang cackled evilly as her boat was paddled towards her ship that was lurking in the distance over the mask of the thick fog this whole time.   
Vriska’s heart sank as she saw the explosion through the spyglass, she recognized that explosion, she had used the same type of dice herself. She then gulped loudly in realization at the fact that Mindfang had returned again. She climbed down to the crew who were already fishing out the other four men that were with Dualscar from the water. Vriska looked around in utter sadness as she heard the four men say that Dualscar had been kidnapped by the she-beast herself. The crew got in gear and began sailing off after the direction one of the men, who saw him get taken, said Mindfang was heading towards. After several days of searching for Dualscar or Mindfang, the crew gave in and stopped in defeat.   
Vriska angrily paced the deck growling, “Really?! We are just fucking giving up?! He is our Captain!”   
“This is probably some stupid black shit, ole’ Fang is pulling,” one of the crew members retorted.  
“No… it’s not…. He ended it with her… This vendetta,” Vriska sighed shaking her head. “We need to go save him…”  
“We can’t go out after Mindfang; we can’t handle a crew like hers without Dualscar’s lead. Why should we go and get our asses slaughtered for a man who can easily handle himself? He should be fine!” several of the crew members chirped out.  
Vriska looked over at the first mate, who was sighing to himself since he was one of the men with Dualscar. He huffed giving her a sympathetic look. “Vriska…. I can’t. Dualscar told me if anything happens to him I need to watch over his ship. I am in charge and need to take care of the crew. I am sorry, but he should be fine….”  
“No… he won’t be fine…. A small boat of us can go then and sneak on and get him…” she stated looking around at the men who shook their heads saying no.  
“Fine then…” she yells grabbing her saber walking over to one of the life boats. “Dualscar, was right. You all are a bunch of pussies…. I am going alone then…” she yelled getting in the life boat.   
“Wait…” the doctor shouted emerging from the crowd of sailors. “I am going with you. He might need medical attention,” he stated getting in the life boat with her.  
The two were lowered into the water and began paddling in search of Mindfang’s ship, luckily the fog had finally thinned out some over the past few days and the waters were much clearer. Vriska looked around intently for the evil ship as she paddled furiously through the sea. After a bit she pulled out Ahab’s crosshairs that had been floating in the water frowning as she slowly slung it over her shoulder. The doctor sighed looking over at her as he helped paddles, giving her a small pat on the back to reassure her. She looked back at him frowning some, obviously entirely upset with the entire situation.  
“Thanks…” she muttered.  
“For what?” the doctor asked.  
“Having my back,” she sighs.  
“No problem, to be honest I also came for my own reasons as well…” he stated.  
“Oh yeah? What?” she asked.  
“I want clues on what happened to my matesprit. Maybe I could find something… anything,” he sighs.  
The two grew silent and went back to the work of paddling across the water. In the middle of the night they finally found the ship of the evil woman, still and not in motion. They tied up their boat to the side of the ship and managed to slowly climb their way on deck without being seen. The doctor pulled a small pistol from his coat and had it ready at hand to shoot if needed. They got in below deck looking for the brig in the bowels of the disgusting ship. Finally they found the holding cells, seeing Dualscar chained up in one of the cells.  
Vriska ran up to the cell looking in with a frown. “Dualscar…” she whimpered.  
He was out cold and covered in his own violet blood, one eye tightly closed due to blood that was streaming down in it. His hands were bound by chains that were coming out of the floor and he was stuck in a kneeling position. Mindfang had taken the liberty of cutting open each little scar he had, which was a lot. Vriska whimpered reaching through the bars and placed a soft hand gently on his cheek. The doctor starts looking around for a way to get his Captain out before there was a loud bang, and a blood curdling scream that followed with him falling to the floor. Mindfang stood in the hallway holding a smoking sawed-off shot gun that was pointed at the doctor, whose whole arm was blasted off his body.   
“Well well look what I caught in me we8,” Mindfang laughed.  
The blast woke up Dualscar, who looked at Vriska in shock and then at the doctor who was clutching his nub that was spurting crimson red blood. Vriska stood up looking at Mindfang grabbing Ahab’s crosshairs and pointing it at her. She backed up against the bars of Dualscar’s cell and growls her finger going over the trigger. The doctor looked at Vriska with a look that said ‘do it‘.  
“Ye aren’t goin’ to do it,” Mindfang laughed.  
“Yes I will,” Vriska yells about to pull the trigger, but her finger stopped.  
“It is so easy to get what I want,” she laughed stopping Vriska with her powers.  
Mindfang grinned maniacally walking up to Vriska pulling her saber from her holster and yanking Ahab’s cross hairs from her hands. She kicks Vriska in the stomach making her slam into the bars and slide onto the ground. The doctor gripped his pistol with his one arm and pointed it at Mindfang shooting her in her upper left arm. She snarled in slight pain and turned her attention to the doctor slicing his other arm off with Vriska‘s saber.   
“What did you do to my matesprit?!” he yelled, screaming some in pain.  
“If she is as pathetic as ye are, I don’t remem8er her,” she laughed.  
“She was an olive blood. You stole her from my arms,” he growls.  
“Oh yeah….. I remem8er ye and that weak little girl… I sold that girl after my crew got 8ored with her,” she cackled.  
“You twisted bitch!” he screamed.   
She rolls her eyes scoffing, “Yeah yeah. I’ve heard it all. Do ye really think I care?”  
She grips the hilt tightly and swings the sword over her shoulder before slicing the doctor’s head off. His bloody corpse collapsed, his head rolling across the floor. Vriska screamed in horror as she watched her friend get murdered by her own blade. Mindfang smirks stepping towards Vriska grabbing her by her hair and yanking her up. Dualscar lunges forward, only to be stopped by the chains that bounded him.  
“Leavwe her alone Mindfang!” he yelled.  
“No, I don’t think so. This stupid little girl has caused me a lot of pro8lems,” she giggles.   
She rips the amour from Vriska’s clothes, leaving her in just the thin under gown the armored dress had. Vriska struggled and fought against Mindfang as she did this, even managing to pull out chunks of the woman’s hair. The beldam couldn’t help but laugh at the struggling girl as she tossed her in the cell across from Dualscar. She tossed the disembodied head in with Vriska as well, and slammed the cell shut, locking it. She just grins walking out of the cell room leaving the two alone locked up, with a dismembered corpse of their friend lying in the hall. Vriska tears up cowering in the corner of the cell as far away from the bodiless head as possible.  
“Vwriska…” Dualscar muttered looking at her then the body.   
“He is dead…” she mumbled.  
“Ye twvo came here all by yerself to savwe me?” he asked his ear fins drooping down.  
“Yeah… no one else wanted to come,” she whimpered.  
“Vwriska… evwerythin’ is gonna be okay… Wve… wve wvill get outta here… I swvear!” he tells her.   
She tears up whimpering, “This is all my fault…. I … I should have left when we made port a month ago…”  
“No Vwriska…. This isn’t yer fault. It is mine, I wvas the fuckin’ idiot that got ye stuck in this… I should havwe just let ye go back at port but I just had to convwince ye to stay… I wvanted ye to stay because I am a selfish prick,” he sighs.  
She looks over at him and huffs, “No Dualscar… You aren’t selfish I wanted to stay.”  
“Wvhy?” he asked.  
“Because the time I spent with you on your ship was the best time of my life… Dualscar… you are like my best friend… You actually took the time to get to know me. You dealt with my problems and tried to help…You mean a lot to me,” she muttered.  
“I am yer best friend?… Ye really mean a lot to me too… Vwriska… I wvant ye to be me moirail… Please?” he states looking into her eyes. “I don’t wvant to loose ye from me life… Ye are one of the good ones in this fucked up wvorld.”  
She sighs smiling weakly at him, “Yeah… I would love to be your moirail.”  
He smiles back some. “Thanks… I need a good friend like ye around.”  
“Yeah especially after all this shit,” Vriska scoffs.  
“Wvell I knowv yer a real friend. A real friend does wvhatevwer they can do to help their friends out. Ye showvin’ up here to savwe me wvithout back up wvas a pretty fuckin’ bravwe movwe. Ye havwe me utter respect Vwriska… Not just anyone gets that,” he stated that.  
“Oh yeah?” she replied.   
“Yeah, all me other men are all fuckin’ pussies about this. They hate Mindfang, and unlike ye, most of them havwen’t evwen suffered her wvrath at all. They are only scared of her because of wvhat they have heard,” he stated.  
“I called them pussies too. They wouldn’t even give me any help to come and save you… I mean you are their Captain, they don’t even have enough respect for your well-being,” she growls.  
“Fear ovwercomes respect… Ye can’t be pissed at them… They havwe wvalnut brains,” he chuckles.  
“Still, they should be loyal no matter what,” she stated looking at him with sympathetic eyes.  
“At least ye are loyal to me… and I couldn’t ask for anythin’ more,” he chuckles.  
“Maybe getting out of here and back to your ship would be something to ask for,” she mutters.  
“Yeah,” he sighs.  
Vriska slouches against the wall and looks over at the bloody head of the doctor that had the look of pure anger just staring straight at her. She pushes it away with her bare foot; her feet being bare because Mindfang took her boots as well. She shudders seeing the candy red blood on her foot, and did her best to wipe it off by smearing it on the floor. A crew member walked down to the brig with a large burlap sack and began collecting the body parts of the doctor throwing them in the bag as if the dead man was nothing more than putrid garbage. He appeared to be a new member Mindfang picked up because Vriska didn’t recognize him, and she knew Mindfang’s crew pretty well.  
He looked over at Vriska and grinned with a dark chuckle, “How is that head servin’ ye?”   
She looked at him sadly then back down at her friend’s head remaining quiet.   
The man groaned, “Don’t gimme that fuckin’ look.”  
Dualscar snarls, “Come on ass hat! Can ye at least take the head out of there for her? That is her friend right there. No one deservwes that…”  
The man grunts looking around, “Fine… toss it to me, girly.”  
She scrunched her face in disgust picking up the doctor’s head and throwing it to him. She whimpered some, “What are you going to do with him?”  
He caught the head in the bag and chuckles a little, “Knowing Mindfang, she is going to make us cook it up and eat it. Wouldn‘t be the first time…”  
The man ties up the bag and walks off with a pitiful smile dragging it behind him, a blood trail following him. Vriska sighs looking down at her hands, which were raw and blistered from paddling all day, and she wiped the blood off her hands on her under gown dress. Dualscar sighs his fins drooping some as he looks at the broken expression on the girl. He moves himself to lie on his side, to be in a more comfortable position. She curls up in the corner resting her head on the wall of the ship, her body moving with the swaying motions of the waves.  
“Try to get some sleep okay?” he muttered. “No use stayin’ up and wvastin’ energy.”  
“Yeah okay,” she sighs closing her eyes.  
Dualscar did the same and within a few hours the two of them were sleeping, both heavily exhausted. The dreams were nothing near pleasant for Vriska, and Dualscar had no dreams at all, only pitch darkness, which was common for him under times of stress. The wake up for them was far more than unpleasant as the door to the brig slammed open before being slammed shut and locked. Though the noise wasn’t what woke them it would be the person who caused it to be what was. He grinned wide with twisted fangs wiping off some white powder from under his nose. He whistled ‘Twisted Nerve’ as he took long dragged out steps as his steeled toed boots clicked on the wood. He stopped in front of Dualscar’s cell and grinned wide looking in at the man, who was passed out with a distorted face of tensed sleeping. He gave Dualscar a welcome waking by pissing on his face, causing the sea dweller to sit up growling, shaking his face, spitting and gagging in complete disgust.   
The first mate chuckled, “Wakey wakey.”   
Dualscar growled about to say something, but just grew quiet watching the evil man. The cruel man then turned his attention to the sleeping girl who was curled up in the corner of her cell. He unlocked the cell door and stepped in closing it behind him. He grins crouching down beside her and leaning in close to Vriska’s sleeping face. Dualscar snarled lunging forward, only being stopped by the chains that bound his arms to the floor.  
“Don’t ye dare do anythin’ to her,” Dualscar hissed.  
The evil man looks back and chuckles, “What are ye gonna do?”  
“I wvill gut ye open wvith me bare hands, and let ye choke to death in yer owvn blood,” he snarls.  
“Ye are all tied up old man…” he laughed.  
He turns his attention back to the girl and runs his hand up her bare leg until he reached the dress that was crumpled up half way up her thigh. He then trails his hand from the top of the dress and up her neck to her soft cheek. The cold hand on her cheek woke her up in a shocked jump, and her eyes shot open. Her pupils dilated at the sight of the familiar first mate who had an awfully pleased smirk across his face. She tried to back up away from him, but she was already in a corner so there was nowhere to run. This wasn’t happening again, Vriska thought. This had to be an awful nightmare, please let this be an awful nightmare.  
He chuckles at him. “Welcome back, my Sweet~ I am in charge of ye and let me tell ye…” He leans in pressing his lips to her ear to whisper in it. “I missed yer soft sweet skin so much~”


	17. Bringing Out the Dead

“GET THE FUCK AWVAY FROM HER NOWV, YE SICK SONVWABITCH!” Dualscar screamed.  
The first mate smirked pulling Vriska up to her feet and holding her in his arms close to him. He turns them to where they are both facing Dualscar his hands roaming Vriska’s body. His lips met the flesh of her neck starting to kiss, lick, and bite; his eyes fixated on Dualscar’s furious expression. The girl whimpered and tried to struggle against him, but he quickly grabbed one of her wrist twisting it behind her back causing her to hiss in pain.   
“LEAVWE HER ALONE!” The Orphaner snarled.  
The first mate just smirks chuckling, “Look old man… There is nothing ye can do.”  
His hand, that wasn’t grabbing her wrist, came up hiking her dress up some as it traveled to her breast giving it a rough squeeze. She snarled squirming against him as she tried to free herself to no avail. He gave a twisted fanged smirk to her before looking at Dualscar with a cocky expression.  
“STOP! YE FUCKIN’ SICK TWISTED MONSTER,” Dualscar yelled.  
“Look ye may think I am sick and twisted, but all men are like this… All men have that primal urge they can’t control when it comes to some women…” he chuckles.  
“LIES! I wvould nevwer do that to any wvoman ever!” Dualscar retorted.  
“Oh but let’s say this sweet little meat is Mindfang. Just think of her as Mindfang, she looks just like her. Haven’t ye ever wanted Mindfang under yer power? Squirming and struggling for her freedom as ye toyed with her?!” He laughed pulling down the top of Vriska’s dress exposing her breasts. “Haven’t ye wanted to hear her crying and sobbing showing pure weakness?! Having her beg ye to stop as ye took control of her?! Aren‘t ye tired of Mindfang‘s control? Her cocky and bitchy ways? This is just pay back… Don‘t ye want Mindfang to hurt?” he chuckled squeezing Vriska’s bare breast.  
Dualscar eyes widened in horror gasping, “She isn’t Mindfang! She is a good girl, don’t do this. I am fuckin’ beggin’ ye to stop this. If ye don’t do this I wvon’t hurt ye.”   
Vriska looks away from Dualscar, cerulean tears streaming down her face, ashamed that he was seeing her like this. The first mate just grins pulling down the rest of Vriska’s dress, leaving her just in panties. She squirmed more, the situation was bad and the fact Dualscar was stuck watching it happen was even worse. He looks at the Orphaner laughing as he ripped off Vriska’s remaining garment, exposing her entirely, followed by his hand undoing his pants. Dualscar screamed and yelled, fighting to get free from his restraints before his eyes widened as he heard a spine chilling scream as the first mate took Vriska by force. Tears welled up in his eyes as he watched this happen before shutting his eyes tightly and looking away still able to hear her screams.  
Although the darkness behind his eyelids helped him not focus on the horror going on that was breaking his heart, he couldn’t imagine the whole situation away because all he heard were grunts and muffled screams. He grits his teeth in anger and balled up his fists snarling in sadness and fury. Each passing second felt like an eternity, and after ten minutes the grunts and screams finally stopped followed by sick laughter and a thud on the floor. Dualscar opened his eyes seeing Vriska sobbing on the floor, trembling in a huddled ball. The first mate grins evilly giving her exposed rear a harsh painful slap, his other hand pulling up his pants up.   
“I missed that sweet body of yers. I am so glad it’s back,” The first mate laughed.  
Dualscar growled, “I am goin’ to kill ye.”  
“Doubt it,” the first mate chuckles.  
The first mate steps over the sobbing girl buttoning up his pants as he walked out of the cell. He slammed and locked it shut staring down at Dualscar before spitting in his face. The sea dweller hisses at him as the heartless man walks off leaving the brig. When he was gone, Vriska reaches for her dress pulling it over her like a security blanket. Violet tears stream down Dualscar’s cheeks as he looked at her, he broke his promise to her.   
“Vwris….” he whimpered.  
There was no answer from her.  
“Vwriska… I am sorry… I… I am sorry… Oh fuck… I nevwer wvanted this… I… I am goin’ to kill that man… I swvear… Please… Wve wvill get out of here and I wvill do evwerythin’ I can to make ye happy again… Please… Hold on Swveetie,” Dualscar whispered.  
Again, Vriska didn’t answer him, only slowly managing to sit up and pull her dress on. She scooted over to the corner wrapping her arms around her knees and pulling them to her chest. Then she buried her face into her knees and arms where she proceeded to sob softly. Dualscar’s fins drooped entirely and he sighed through his gills looking down upset with himself.  
A day passes and Vriska hadn’t moved from her corner at all, while Dualscar on the other hand did whatever he could to escape. It was pouring outside and a repeatedly harsh pitter patter of rain could be heard through the wood. Footsteps and the jingling of keys could then be heard as someone descended down into the brig. It was the first mate again, with that cocky bastard grin across his face as usual. He smirks looking down at Dualscar through the bars of his cell, before unlocking it. He pulls out a hand saw and chuckles darkly.   
“WVHAT THE FUCK DO YE WVANT?” Dualscar snarled at him.  
The first mate laughs kicking Dualscar in the chest. “How often do ye get to have the Orphaner prisoner? I mean we both know ye ain’t gonna last long so I asked Mindfang if it would be okay to saw off your horns as souvenir before yer demise.”  
Dualscar snarled, “And wvhat are ye gonna do wvith Vwriska?”  
“Well, I think ye know that one. Ye aren’t entirely stupid. Mindfang said I can keep her… She will be like my little pet,” he laughs.  
“She isn’t a fuckin’ pet!” he screams.  
He rolls his eyes and leans in putting the jagged blade of the handsaw to Dualscar’s horn. The Orphaner grits his teeth with rage and leans in biting at the first mate’s calf ripping off a chunk of meat. The man screams out in pain falling back as he watched Dualscar spit out the flesh onto the cell floor. As he fell he dropped his keys which gave Dualscar the chance to pull them over with his foot. He managed to work them around to his back, where he could grab them with his chained hands and unlock the shackles that bound him. He gives a shark toothed grin and stands up looking over the wounded first mate.   
The first mate grabbed his hack saw and growled standing up shakily, due to the chunk missing from his leg. Dualscar smacked his hand, knocking the saw across the floor and out of reach. The first mate backed up into the hall, until he bumped into the bars of Vriska’s cell. Dualscar digs his claws into the first mate, tearing through his shirt and skin, his hand plunging into the guts of the man. A sick gasp came from the man’s lips causing him to cough up jade blood as he felt himself being ripped open alive. Dualscar grabbed hold of one of his intestines and pulled it outside his body before tearing back in, grabbing more of his entrails. He ripped out more of the man’s insides dropping them on a pile on the floor in front of him. The first mate stares at Dualscar in horror, mouth ajar with death filled wheezing breaths escaping from his lungs in his trembling body as he slid down the bars and onto the floor.  
The Orphaner spits on him and snarls, “Got to hand it to ye… I thought ye wvould of passed out or died by nowv…. That is okay… Only makes the next part more fun.”  
Dualscar crouched down in front of the man and his pile of guts, which were in fact still attached to the inside of his body, and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. He balled a jade covered fist and with full force and speed let it meet his face. The sea dweller grits his teeth and hit the man in the face over and over with a force so powerful it felt as if he was being hit with a train. He kept punching his face till the bones were cracking and caving in, till his nose crushed down into his face, till his jaw was displaced so far to the side to looked like it was about to fall off, till all his fangs fell to the floor or down his throat, and till one of his eyeballs fell right from the socket and was dangling from his battered skull by the optic nerve, that’s when he stopped. The face was unrecognizable only resembling a disgusting image that would haunt a wriggler’s nightmares for an eternity.   
Dualscar let out a loud sigh through his nostrils, flaring out his gills and fins, as he wiped the jade blood off on his shirt. His eyes darted over to Vriska who was looking up at him with tears welling up in her eyes that showed utter gratefulness. He grabbed the keys and unlocked her cell door, cautiously approaching her and lifting her up in his arms bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek softly with closed eyes. The tips of his fins and his face flushed a light violet as he looked over her, it was as if he was the heroic knight who just saved the damsel in distress like in one of those silly little fairy tales a lusus would read to its wriggler before bed, only those wouldn’t be as graphic.   
“Thank you, Dualscar,” she whispered softly.  
“Don’t thank me, Lass… Let us get off this cod forsaken ship… and wvhen wve get back to me ship I wvill pull out the wvash tub and drawv ye a nice hot bath. I don’t wvant ye wvorkin’ at all… I am gonna to pamper ye… I wvill let ye drink all me rum and smoke all me tobacco too until wve get back to shore wvhere I can personally escort ye to the safety of yer hivwe,” he stated beginning to walk.  
“Dualscar, I am fine. It isn‘t the first time this has happened,” she whispered.  
“That only makes me wvant to pamper ye more… No one deservwes that,” he replied.   
He carries her up to the main hallway setting her down to her feet beside him. He gently grabs her small hand and walks down the hall, stopping at Mindfang’s door. He creaked open the door peeking in seeing no one in sight, so he and Vriska decided to enter. Dualscar scans the room smiling when he saw Vriska’s saber on Mindfang’s desk, he grabs it, and handed it to the girl. She unsheathed the blade from the holster and gripped the handle tightly with gritted teeth.  
“Let’s go…” she stated with a slight snarl as she slid the sword back in its holster.  
Dualscar huffs, “Yeah… I guess she has Ahab’s cross hairs.”  
“We just need to get a life boat and get out of here…” she sighs.  
“Yeah, but once wve are on deck wve gotta run… that’s probably wvhere evweryone is…” he states  
She nods and walks out of the room with him heading to the door that lead out on deck. Dualscar stepped in front of her and grabbed the door knob slowly opening it. It was down pouring outside and Mindfang’s crew was scrambling about getting to work on loading cannons. Dualscar scanned the area spotting the life boats before he pulled Vriska behind him in a protective manner as he stepped out on the deck. He quickly pulled Vriska along as they ran to the life boat; unfortunately crew members started noticing and called for Mindfang. The beldam runs out on the deck aiming Ahab’s crosshairs at the two of them.  
“Where the hell are ye two fuckers think ye are goin’?” Mindfang snarled.  
“OI! Gimme me crosshairs ye putrid bloody cod piece!” Dualscar yelled.  
“Ye want it. Here… Take it!” Mindfang yelled pulling the trigger letting out a blast of energy at the two.  
Dualscar dove to the ground holding Vriska in his arms as they almost got hit by the blast, which left a scorching hole in the railing of the ship and blasting the life boats to smithereens. The Orphaner stood growling in anger rushing at Mindfang, grabbing the front of the rifle with his hands. The two struggled over control of the weapon, growling and spitting in each other’s faces in hatred. Vriska slowly stands coughing some from having the wind knocked out of her. Crew members approach her, some laughing due to remembering her back when she was entertainment on the ship. She quickly unsheathed her blade and hacked off an arm of a crew member who was approaching her. She looks at Dualscar who was struggling with getting control over the crosshairs, because a crew member had come up and stabbed him in the side with a short dagger. Vriska snarled running towards Dualscar dicing through anyone who stood in her way. When she got to Mindfang and Dualscar’s fight she growled raising her sword up and striking at the evil woman. Mindfang saw this coming and managed to dodge a fatal blow, but was not quick enough to get miss getting her left arm sliced off entirely.   
She dropped Ahab’s crosshairs screaming, “FUCK!!!!!!!! YE 8ITCH! YE FUCKIN’ 8ITCH! I WILL KILL YE! I WILL KILL YE TILL THERE IS NOTHIN’ LEFT OF YER EXISTANCE!”   
Dualscar grabbed hold of Ahab’s crosshairs, pulling it close to him as if it was his grub before swinging it over his shoulder with the strap. He grabbed Vriska’s hand doing the same, wrapping a large arm around her waist and pulling him to her. Mindfang screamed holding her shoulder, where her arm once joined, in pain, cobalt blood spurting all over. The crew was swarming them now, and it was at the point there were too many of them for the two escapees to handle. Dualscar hoisted Vriska over his shoulder and ran, barging through the men, to the edge of the ship. There were no life boats left so Dualscar grit his teeth and jumped over the edge plunging into the water below. The crew began shooting at them in a barrage of bullets, causing one of them to graze Vriska’s shoulder. Dualscar dove down deep into the water starting to swim, holding Vriska to his chest, hoping she was good at keeping her breath. She whimpered after five minutes bubbles escaping her lips and floating up to surface.   
Dualscar stopped swimming, looking at her face, which had her eyes clamped shut tightly to prevent stinging salt water from entering Since he was a seadweller he didn‘t have that problem because of his second set of eyelids that protected him from salt. He lets out some bubbles through his gills, in resemblance to a sigh and swims to the surface as fast as he could. When the two busted through the surface of the water, Vriska gasped out loudly, breathing heavily in a fit. The sea dweller scanned the horizon seeing the rain had stopped and Mindfang’s ship in the far distance, causing him to let out a sigh of relief.   
“Wve did it, Lass,” he says softly.   
“We aren’t out of it yet…We are still stuck in the middle of the ocean… I can’t last long out here,” she replies.  
“I knowv, Vwris… Wve wvill get to shore…” he replies.  
The two begin to swim steadily through the water, hoping shore wouldn’t be too far away. Swimming through the open waters like this only brought back old memories for Vriska, at least she had Dualscar for company. She swam close to him just in case she needed his help, swimming with a sword and a dress wasn’t as easy as it seemed.   
A few days pass out in the water, and the duo’s spirits were becoming low due to starvation and lack of being dry. Dualscar could tell Vriska was especially weakened by this; she was reduced to lightly clinging to him. The sea dweller wasn’t feeling all to well either; he needed to dress the stab wound on his side, it was raw and stung like hell from the salt water. Dualscar kept pushing forward holding Vriska close, and she kicked her legs as best as she could even though every muscle in her ached to do so. Though soon enough Dualscar’s eyes widened at the sight of some land, the young girl couldn’t see because her eyes were crusted shut to keep anymore sea water from getting in them, and once again she lost her glasses.   
“Wve made it, Vwriska! Wve made it,” Dualscar cheered as he pulled them to shore.   
Vriska instantly stood once she felt land underneath her body and she wiped the crust from her eyes with a fist. Dualscar patted her back smiling wide before giving her a tight hug and a kiss on her forehead. As they started to walk on the beach they realized the beach wasn’t composed of sand but a disgusting quagmire mud, which stank of rotten dead fish. Their legs sank down into the mud as they took their steps, being too heavy to stand without it giving way. Every time Vriska’s leg sank down she jumped right back out with furious determination to get away, sometimes this resulted with a face plant. Dualscar did the same, but being much heavier he had a harder time bouncing back out like she did, yet somehow he managed. Both just kept their eyes fixed down at their disappearing feet and legs as they pushed forward.  
After thirty minutes of this struggled trudge through the muck they came across a metal sign that was knocked down. It read in bold letters, ‘WARNING! QUICK SAND! ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!’ Vriska looked up from the sign gasping as she saw a white sand beach in the distance with the bustling hurry of blurry figures of trolls playing on the beach. Dualscar looked out smiling at the sight of civilization, and his grin only grew as he saw the magnificent size of the Empress’ palace some ways down the beach.


	18. Wild at Heart

The two were finally relieved when their feet touched the soft powder-like sand after trudging through a disgusting quagmire marsh for an hour. Though the bystanders, who were joyfully playing on the beach, cowered in fear at the sight, of whom they assumed was Mindfang and the Empress’ lapdog. They all took a few steps away and the sounds of fun went quiet when the two ruffed up, battered, and armed companions made their way down the beach in the direction of the palace. By the time Dualscar and Vriska made their way to the gates of the great Condescension’s palace they were caked in sweat, sea water, sand, and mud, and wreaked of rotting fish and body odor.   
The drones guarding the gate didn’t even hesitate to stop Dualscar and his companion because they recognized the still shining and brilliant Ahab’s crosshairs he wore over his shoulder. A drone led them down a long hall with an incredibly high ceiling, and a floor with a long extravagant fuchsia rug that was used for making grand entrances like those human celebrities did in that wasteland known as Hollywood. Large oil paintings of the Empress herself, contained by large thick gilded frames, hung on the wall every few feet. Dualscar commented to Vriska on how he thought the whole room was a bit narcissistic and tacky, even though he would never personally tell anyone anything negative about the Empress, due to the fact he had sworn loyalty to her, but he could see the poor girl’s spirits were low and he wanted to at least get her to crack a smile.   
They soon entered the throne chambers where the room consisted of mainly three colors, gold, black, and fuchsia. Dualscar stepped up a few feet before the thrown and got down on one knee bowing before the Empress, he yanked Vriska down with him, but she kind of collapsed in a filthy heap from lack of fresh water and exhaustion. The magnificent woman wore a black skin tight diving suit that had streaks of fuchsia in it that connected to make the symbol of Pisces. Her arms, ear fins, neck and fingers were covered in pounds and pounds of shining gold jewelry. Her hair was fluffy, thick and it was so long it trailed down behind her as she walked and her horns were at least four feet tall. On her forehead was a golden tiara with her symbol engraved into it, to show her followers and all Alternia who was ruler. The empress raised an eyebrow, grabbing her sharp golden trident and stood from her throne looking over her two weary guests.   
“Dualscar… w)(at the anglin’ fuck )(appened to ya? Ya make a pile of s)(it look appealin’ compared to ya,” she cackled. She then leaned in looking at Vriska with a snarl. “And ya broug)(t me t)(e Marquise… excellent we will )(ave )(er executed immediately.”   
With a snap of her ring covered fingers drones swarmed Vriska and roughly hoisted her up to her feet by her horns. Dualscar stood alarmed and pulled the weak girl away from their clutches and embraced her in his arms in a protective manner. He looked upon the Empress, worried shaking his head with heavy tired breath.   
“She be not Fang, yer Majesty. She has been wvronged by that evwil wvoman herself and is in need of shelter and help,” Dualscar panted. “Come on Dualscar! Look at )(er. S)(e is a fuckin’ Serket. W)(atever s)(e )(as been feedin’ ya it is a pile of w)(ale s)(it. I don’t want t)(e likes of a Serket in my palace s)(e must leave or be krilled,” she ordered.   
“Yer Majesty, please. Vwriska isn’t a threat. I havwe seen horrible things happen to her because of the cruelty of her owvn blood. She has been outcaste from her owvn name and has no intentions other than findin’ a wvay back to her hivwe,” Dualscar pleaded.   
“O)( )(orrible t)(ings ya say? Like w)(at?!” the Empress snarled. Dualscar gulped looking down at the sad face of his companion, before looking back up at the empress. “Mindfang kept Vwriska a prisoner on her ship for a swveep and let her crewv degrade and vwiolate her. Wve… wve wvalked ashore from Open Ocean after escapin’ that wvoman’s ship. On board I wvatched as a man stripped her dowvn and… and rape her in front of me…”   
The empress’ eyes trailed over the feeble form of the exhausted girl, who surprisingly had nothing but sheer determination and power in her eyes. “Is t)(is true, Guppy?” she asked in a soft yet deadly voice as she pointed her trident to Vriska’s throat.   
Vriska’s eyes narrowed and she spoke in a cold empty tone. “Yes, your Majesty. I was raped and degraded by a crew of filthy scoundrels run by the likes of my own kin for a sweep. Once I escaped I was found by Dualscar, who kindly took me in and treated me as a member of his own crew. After a few months of traveling with him, Mindfang kidnapped him and I went after determined to rescue him. On board the ship I was made a prisoner once again and was raped by the man who had been appointed as Mindfang’s first mate. Dualscar managed to obtain his freedom from his prison cell and gut the man open where he stood, before saving me. On our escape we ran into Mindfang… and I cut the FUCKING BITCH’S arm off with her old sword… I do have intentions other than just getting shelter and help though… I want her cold… I want her no longer breathing… I want that FUCKING BITCH dead… and I want her fucking corpse to rot and decay with no mourners… I want my ancestor to suffer and feel a pain like no other… and I want the seas no longer under her control and those she has hurt no longer feel a fear eating away at them…”   
The Empress pulled her trident away and looked upon the girl with slightly widened eyes. She stepped back from the two and looked at Dualscar with a stern nod, and a serious expression. Vriska squirmed from Dualscar’s embrace and stood up on her own feet, her form swaying slightly from exhaustion. The Empress turned and took a seat back down in her throne laying her trident across her lap.   
“Ya two can stay in your room, Dualscar. Ya’re allowed t)(e luxuries, just stay out of my royal business, my c)(ambers are off limits, do not steal anyt)(ing unless it is food, if I give ya an order ya listen wit)(out arguin’, and if I )(ear of any suspicious activity I will take matters into my own )(ands,” she huffed. She claps her hands and a servant girl runs up and bows before Dualscar and Vriska. “S)(e will take ya to t)(e spa and get ya cleaned up. Ya two smell cod awful. Ya two are leavin’ a disgustin’ mess in my t)(rone room.”  
“Come with me,” the servant girl said in a soft timid tone.  
Dualscar and Vriska follow the servant down the hall, the whole time Vriska just stared at the girl; she had a tattoo of a butterfly on her neck. Why did that seem important and familiar to her? Vriska thought. They enter a large room filled with multiple in ground baths filled with hot steaming water and series of hair washing stations by the wall. The servant girl ran over to a closet and grabbed two sets of towels and robes. She set a robe and a towel down by two baths that were close to each other. Dualscar pulled off his shirt without hesitation, ready to jump into that hot water and clean up.  
“Oh um sir… let me get a room divider …” the girl whimpered.   
“Um wvhy?” Dualscar asked with a raised brow.  
“Well for decency… so your lady friend doesn’t have to see you in a lewd nature,” she mutters.  
“Oh I can just turn around,” Vriska replies turning her back to Dualscar.  
“Oh… um okay. Oh maybe later to ease you twos pain, I could make some herbal tea… it always makes me feel better,” the servant replied turning around as well.  
“Yeah that would be nice, I knew a man who drank herbal tea all the time,” Vriska stated.  
Dualscar quickly strips down to nothing and slips into one of the bath pools. All the muck and sweat melted off him once he was in the water and his fins flared out in pleasure. He let out a satisfied groan and slumped against the edge of the tub with his eyes closed.  
“Vwris, ye can undress I got me eyes closed,” he muttered.   
“Here Miss I can help you?” the servant states helping undo the back of the dress.   
“I… I am okay,” Vriska murmured.  
She steps away from the servant girl and started tearing the filthy disgusting dress off her. She threw it in an angered heap on the floor and wipes some mud off her chest with her hand. Her body was bruised and filthy, she felt disgusted with herself, she use to be so strong. She slips into the tub adjacent to Dualscar’s and sighs at the feel of the hot water on her skin. The servant girl kneeled down on the edge of the tub behind Vriska and started shampooing her hair.   
“Ugh… I needed this…” Vriska groaned.  
Dualscar peeked an eye open to see if she was decent before looking at her entirely. Her eyes were closed and she was purring softly as the servant girl kneaded shampoos into Vriska’s long thick black hair. Dualscar smirked at the pleased spider girl before chuckling slightly.  
“Ye can say that again,” he stated.  
Vriska’s eyes open and she smiles, “Yeah, I’ve missed warm water and especially after the mud bath I took.”  
Dualscar looks at the servant girl chuckling, “Ye better wash me hair too, Lassy.”  
“Oh y-yes Orphaner, of course!” she stated brushing out Vriska’s hair. “As soon as I finish hers.”  
“Take yer time, this wvoman has had a hard time, it is about time she gets pampered,” he laughed.  
“Yes, I heard what happened I am so sorry… You two came from Mindfang’s ship… Was it another rivalry battle or no? I mean if you don’t mind me asking,” she asked.  
“Mindfang got pissed this fish face dumped their black so she decided to attack Dualscar because she is a cunt. Why do you ask?” Vriska growled closing her eyes.  
“Oh… I … I just lost someone special to a DualFang rivalry,” she muttered.  
Dualscar’s fins drooped, and he sighed, “I am sorry Lass. Me and Fang wvere pretty reckless back in the day… I am sorry our stupidity made ye lose yer friend.”  
Vriska’s eyes snapped opened and she looked up at the girl. “Was it a matesprit you lost?” she asked in a cold tone.  
“Why yes… He… he was a doctor on a ship, and a good one too. There was no aliment he couldn‘t fix…” she muttered.  
Vriska sighed, “I knew it.”  
“Knewv wvhat, Vwris?” Dualscar asked.  
Vriska looks the girl in the eyes, “I knew your matesprit… he was a good man.”  
“Really?! How did you know him?” the servant asked shocked.  
“He… He was a doctor on Dualscar’s ship…” she sighs.  
“Is he still there?! Where is he…” the girl asked with hope.   
Dualscar sighs, “Well he-”  
“Got his fucking head chopped off…” Vriska cut him off. She points to her sword that was by the mud dress. “By that sword right there…”  
“M-Mindfang killed him…?” she whimpered.  
“Yeah… When Dualscar got captured he came with me to go and save him… he got killed because of it…” Vriska replied.  
“Oh…” the girl looks down sadly.   
“He never stopped loving you…” the Serket said.  
“Yeah and he wvas a good man too. He wvas the best doctor I havwe evwer had,” Dualscar states with a soft smile.  
The servant girl smiles some, “That’s nice to hear.”  
After two long hours of cleaning and pampering, Dualscar and Vriska were finally dried off and clothed in robes. Dualscar got his stab wound stitched up adding yet another scar to the many that covered his body. Vriska and Dualscar walked down the halls of the palace, weapons in tow, as they went to the guest room that was personally made for The Orphaner. When he opened up the door for the room, the first thing seen was a large king-sized bed, followed by a large recrupricoon next to the bed. Dualscar walks in, hanging Ahab’s crosshairs on a hook by the sword and jumps on the bed, face planting into the fluffy pillows. Vriska chuckles walking in after him and looks around, there was a picture of the Empress hanging over the bed on the wall parallel to that was a large flat screen television. In the corner away from the bed was a small desk for writing and by the door that led out of the room there was a door to the closet and across from that was a bathroom. The room itself was painted a bright violet color and there were large sliding glass doors that lead out to a balcony that viewed the white sand beaches.   
She also hangs up her sword, which she has now properly named ‘PAY 8ACK 8ITCH’ before going over and lying beside him smiling, “You happy?”  
“Fuck yes…” he groans.  
Vriska smiles reaching to pet his hair, it was already so dry and soft, “I am happy too…”  
He purrs turning to look up at her, “It’s nice to see ye happy… I am gonna take a nap… Ye should rest up too…”  
She already had her eyes closed and she just gave a small nod before rolling on her side. He smirks and slowly drifts off as well, a small snore whistling through his gills. After a few hours it was dark out and Dualscar arose heading to the closet, going through it and tossing on a white tunic and black pants. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants finding there were some cigarettes still in them from back in the day when he use to smoke them. He stretched his body and headed out of the room deciding to have a conversation with the Empress, but before he did he looked over at the small slumbering girl smiling. He found the Condescension out on the main balcony looking over the seas and land she ruled puffing on a long thin gold pipe.  
“Evenin’ Dualscar,” the Condescension stated puffing out smoke from her fuchsia lips.  
“Hello Majesty,” he states walking up to her and leaned over the railing, pulling out a cigarette lighting it.  
“So w)(at’s t)(e deal wit)( t)(e Serket?” she asked.  
“Ye knowv that… Ye knowv I am just tryin’ to get her home,” he replied smoking the cigarette.   
“Ya know t)(at’s not w)(at a meant… W)(at is goin’ on between ya two?” she scoffs.  
“Wve be friends… moirails actually…” he muttered leaning over the rail.  
“Fronds? Ya like )(er more t)(an a frond… I ain’t stupid… Dual… )(aven’t ya learned your lesson about Serkets already?” the Empress growled.  
“She’s different, Condy,” he sighs blowing smoke out his nose.  
“S)(ore s)(e is… Ya remember t)(at ya said Mindfang was different too, but t)(en Mindfang )(appened to )(er… and all because ya really cared about )(er…” the empress snarled.  
“I don’t wvant to think about her… Wvhen Mindfang did wvhat she did… I… I wvas broken… but Vwriska… evwen if she wvas as bad as Fang… she has nothin’ to take from me this time…” he muttered.  
“So ya do feel red for )(er…?” she asked raising a brow.  
“I don’t evwen knowv…” he mutters his fins dropping some.  
“W)(ale, ya need to figure it out because I can’t )(ave ya gettin’ fucked over again…” she sighs.  
“I think I am red…” Dualscar mumbled.  
“W)(at are ya goin’ to do about it?” she asks.  
“… Tell her…” he stated ashing his cigarette on the rail.  
Vriska woke up to a knock on the door so she rose to her feet and opened the door. She was greeted by the servant girl who handed her a violet sundress, along with undergarments, to wear for the time being. Vriska stepped out of view from the servant and pulled down her robe before putting on some panties and the sundress, it was made from soft fabric so it was comfortable to wear. She returned to the servant with a small smile and a nod gesturing a ‘Thanks’.  
“You look beautiful Ms. Serket,” the servant girl chuckles.  
“Thanks… and please call me Vriska, none of that Serket crap,” Vriska muttered.  
“Yes, Ms. Ser-… Vriska. I was headed down to the gardens, care to join. I assumed you would like some fresh air,” the girl stated.   
“Sure, that will be nice,” Vriska follows after her.  
The two head down to the gardens and sat down at small little gazebo. The moon hung bright and full in the sky and shimmering light cascaded down over the flowers in the garden. Vriska looked out at the sea, then at the color of her dress and sighed softly to herself. The servant girl sat down across from her, watching her movements and body language.   
“You’re in love,” she states looking at Vriska.   
Vriska looks over a bit surprised, “What are you talking about?”   
“Don’t try to deny it. I can read your body language. I know what a girl in love looks like and you are one,” she says smiling softly.  
“I am not in love,” Vriska growled softly. “I can’t be…”  
“I see the way you look at him, smile at him, speak to him… it’s better to tell him soon,” she replies.  
Vriska blushes a soft cerulean and looks to the side ashamed, “Is it wrong for me to love him?… because I feel that way.”  
“Love is love there is nothing wrong about it… You deserve to be with who you want… I know there are complications involving the past but that isn’t what you should be focusing on. You need to focus on what you want and you need to tell him… soon… You need to know Dualscar‘s feelings as well,” the girl retorts.  
“What if he rejects me?” she sighs.  
“All the more reason to tell him sooner before the feelings get stronger…” the servant girl states.  
“Yeah…” Vriska stands up. “I will go tell him.”


	19. ConAir

Vriska returned to the room she was residing in finding it rather empty, lacking Dualscar, so she ended up laying on the bed watching TV. After flipping through the channels, she found one that played only played a continuous stream of different human movies. She jumped out of the bed in excitement and kissed the screen when she saw the face of a god, the face of NICK CAGE. What a glorious sight to behold, and it brought tears to Vriska’s eyes. The long hair, cheesy accent, dirty wife beater, creepy child molester Steve Buscemi who freaks you out through the whole movie because you think he is going to hurt the poor little girl who was having a random ass tea party in a random ass dried up abandoned swimming pool making you wonder where the bitch’s guardians are. This wasn’t just any NICK CAGE movie. This was the one. The only. CON AIR. May Prospit’s light shine down upon this most glorious of days.   
Vriska lies back on the bed and watched the love of her life on the TV screen. It had been so long since she had seen the ever so brilliant face of the handsomest man who had ever existed in the universe. He was so great so fabulous, he was every school girl’s wet dream. After about an hour of watching the greatness that is NICK CAGE, there was a knock at the door.   
“Vwriska, are ye in there?” Dualscar called out.   
Her heart dropped, she remembered she had come here to speak to Dualscar about her feelings for him. She hated sharing her feelings for people, she was raised being taught that feelings and emotions were weakness and expressing them would lead to death. She couldn’t tell him, what if he reacted badly, but what if… what if he loved her back. Maybe she wouldn’t feel so alone all the time, maybe she wouldn’t feel so confused about her existence, maybe she could learn to ask for forgiveness for the evil she has done, and maybe she could be happy.   
“Come in,” she replied pausing the TV.   
He stepped in the room, gulping some, “There’s somethin’ I needed to tell ye.”   
She gets up off the bed, taking a deep breath, “I got something important to tell you as well.”  
“Oh… Um … wwell ye go first…” he said with his childish stutter coming back.  
“Oh well, you see… The past few months we have spent together have been… amazing. I really enjoy spending time with you,” she mumbled blushing some.  
“Really… that’s great because… I enjoy spending time wwith ye too and wwell… wwell…” he takes a deep breath to calm his nerves. “I lovwe ye… like, I lovwe ye as a moirail and a quadrant partner. Wvhen I first met ye I honestly didn’t really knowv wvhat to think till wve actually got to talk. I wvas confused on wvhat the hell lovwe evwen wvas. I thought I lovwed another, but I wvas too blinded by manipulation to see that it wvasn’t real. I don’t feel manipulated by ye, I don’t feel any pain, I don’t feel anythin’ but… wvarmth. A wvarmth that I havwen’t felt in forevwer, it’s like a match has been lit in me old cold fire pitted heart. Ye are me flame.”  
Vriska’s face flushes dark and she looks up into his eyes. “I love you too, Dualscar.”   
“R-really…” he replied feeling overwhelmed with joy.  
Dualscar’s face flushed up some, he felt like a young little wriggler again. He didn’t know what to do he was so happy, he had never felt so happy before in his life. He leans in kissing Vriska deeply out of sheer joy, his fingers run up through her hair and one arm wraps around her. Vriska blushed bright her eyes widening as his lips pressed against hers. She stumbled back some falling on the bed him falling with her, he pulled away chuckling with embarrassment.  
“I… I am sorry… I got a little excited,” he chuckled.  
She giggles sitting up some, “It’s fine, I was just surprised.”  
“Sorry,” he chuckles scratching the back of his head. He takes a seat next to her and looks at the television, “So wvhat are ye wvatchin’.”  
“Only the best thing ever… Con Air,” she laughs proudly laying back against the bed as she pressed play.  
“That man has a ridiculous accent,” he laughs.  
“Coming from the man with the ridiculous accent,” she giggles.  
“Hey… I can’t help mine… this human can,” he chuckles making his accent more prominent as he spoke.  
“Whatever… Care to watch?” she asks smiling.  
Dualscar nods lying down beside her, nonchalantly wrapping an arm around her as he did. Vriska didn’t seem to mind, she actually curled up to his touch purring softly. He was so happy; he never thought he would love a woman like this ever again. He looked at the screen, he honestly had no fucking clue what was going on but he didn’t care, he was just happy to have the woman he loved in his arms, happy and in love as well. After about an hour the movie was over and he looked down at the girl who was curled up to him at peace.  
“So wvhat nowvv?…” he asked smiling.  
“Whatever you want…” she replied with a shrug.  
“Wvhatevwer I wvant?” he asks grinning some.  
“Yeah,” she states.  
“Wvell, I wvant ye…” he chuckles.  
He grins before he cupped her cheeks with his hands starting to kiss her deeply and passionately. Vriska blushed dark, but her eyes slowly drifted shut and she started to kiss him back softly. Seeing her positive reaction, he carefully and slowly crawled on top of her kissing her even deeper, his lips parting some. Her lips parted slightly in return and he didn’t hesitate to slide his eager tongue into her mouth. One of his hands slid down between her breasts, down her stomach, and to her thighs where his fingers tugged up on her dress some. His other hand started unbuttoning his own shirt slowly, one by one.  
Dualscar needed this, he wanted this. He was going to have her, feel pleasure from her and it was going to be good. His brows furrowed, this made him just like those men who used and abused Vriska for their own pleasure. This was not Mindfang. This was not some pretty little whore he could fuck, use, and then throw away like garbage. This was Vriska. She was special, she was precious. She deserved so much more than to be used for the needs for others. She didn’t deserve anymore pain, anymore abuse, anymore neglect, anymore people using her for their own gain. He didn’t deserve her at all, she was so much more. He stopped sitting up and looking down at her with a depressed expression.  
She sat up confused. “What’s wrong?” she asked.  
“I… I can’t do this?” he sighs.  
“What? Why?” she replied.  
“Because this is wvrong… I… I can’t be wvith ye, Vwriska!” he yelled.  
She looks at him hurt. “Why?”  
“Because only bad things wvill happen if I am wvith ye,” he replies.  
“But Dualscar… You said you loved me…” she mutters.  
“I can’t do this…” he sighs.  
“Is this because I look like Mindfang?” she asks.  
He gets up off the bed and fixes his shirt. “I just can’t be wvith ye okay!?” he growls.   
“I am sorry I can’t be your Mindfang replacement,” she says as she tears up and turns her back to him.  
“Vwris…” he sighs.  
“Leave me alone,” she hissed.  
Dualscar groans and leaves the room heading down to the royal bar down by the kitchen. He begins to drink rum, and a lot of it, downing one bottle after the other. Vriska curled up on the bed sobbing into the pillows, what did she do wrong? Did he still wish he could have Mindfang? Or did she remind him too much of her? She closed her eyes and forced herself asleep, while Dualscar on the other hand passed out after drinking all his rum.  
Early the next morning Dualscar woke up with a groan and got up from the bar stool. He clutched his head having a terrible headache from drinking way too much. He sighs remembering what happened last night so he decides to go up and apologize to Vriska. He walks upstairs approaching the door to the room giving it a soft knock.   
“Vwris… Ye still mad at me?” he asks with sigh.  
There was no answer.  
“Vwris?” he calls.  
He slowly enters the room peeking in and looking around before stepping in all the way. She wasn’t in the room and her sword was gone as well which cause him to panic. He walked up to the bed in a frantic manner clutching his hair in a fit. There was a note addressed to him on the nightstand, he picks it up biting his lip.  
‘Dear Dualscar,  
These past few months we have spent together have been the best months of my life. I want to thank you for all you have done and the kindness you have shown me. I was skeptical about you at first to be honest due to our pasts and lineage but after getting to truly know you my opinion changed. As much as I wish I could stay with you and continue being your friend, I believe it is finally time we must part ways. I am sorry I couldn’t tell you good bye in person, I just couldn’t face you so this was the easiest way. I wish you the best of luck in your voyages, hunts, and life. May we meet again someday.   
Good Bye Captain Orphaner Dualscar.  
Your Friend,   
Vriska’  
Dualscar teared up some crumpling the letter up into his fist, this was all his fault. He ran out of the door and down the hall hoping he could catch her and apologize. He bumped into the Empress and looked at her with a desperate expression, she just sighed shaking her head. She pointed to the north end of the beach and walked away letting him resume his chase after her.  
Vriska had packed up her things and left early when the sun had just begun to rise, it was now in the midafternoon. She wanted to go back to her hive after being gone for so long, she was home sick and missed her friends. She was going to miss Dualscar, he was the one person who actual took the time to understand her, but things had gotten too awkward between them. Her new sword, ‘Pay 8ack 8itch’, was slung over her shoulder, and her bare feet kicked at the sand as she walked down along the shore. The gentle sea breeze blew her hair around softly and the sun shined down upon the sand making it twinkle.  
Dualscar sprinted down the beach looking around in all directions hoping he could spot her. After two hours of non-stop sprinting he stopped catching his breath as the sun was finally starting to set. He whimpered looking around, was she really gone? Vriska stopped walking and looked up at the setting sun, the breeze whipping her hair around in a flurry. Dualscar looked up and down the beach; he noticed one person who wasn’t running around having fun, yet just standing where the water met the sand and staring out at the sun greeting the water as the sky changed into a mix of violets, blues, and yellows. He started jogging towards the person, slowing down when he got close enough to recognize who it was.   
“Vwriska?” he whimpers.  
She turns to look at him. “Dualscar… what are you doing?” she asked.  
“I…I…,” he pants. “Please don‘t go?” he sighs.  
“… Dualscar… you really hurt my feelings… I just need to go home now…” she muttered.  
“Vwriska… I… I didn’t mean to, it just felt like I wvas forcin’ meself on ye and I didn’t wvant to be like the men on Mindfang’s crewv… I didn’t wvant ye to feel like ye had to be wvith me intimately… I didn’t wvant ye to feel pressured into havwin’ to be wvith me romantically…” he sighed.  
“I wanted to be with you because I love you… not because you were pressuring me…” she replies.  
He walks up to her and grabbed the back of her head pressing his lips to hers softly. The sun was starting to set upon the blue ocean and the stars were starting to pepper the sky. He released her from the kiss and looked into her eyes,   
“If ye still wvant to go home nowv… Then I guess this wvill be our goodbye… but to be honest… I’d prefer if ye came back to the palace and stayed wvith me a little longer… I promise ye I wvould take back home…” he replied.  
She looks out staring out at the ocean before turning to look at him. “Okay…I will come back with you… plus it is almost night anyways,” she states smiling.  
“Really?” he asked cheering up.  
Vriska takes Dualscar’s hand causing his cheeks and the tips of his fins to blush violet some. The two companions walk back to the palace and by that time the sky was a pitch black. When they entered the room again Vriska noticed the letter on the floor and picked it up. She gave a sad smile before tearing it up and discarding it into the trash can by the desk. She lays ‘Pay 8ack 8itch’, on the desk before lying back down on the bed with a huff. Dualscar kicks off his shoes before lying besides her brushing some hair from her face with a small chuckle.  
“Hm… something funny?” she asked looking up at him.  
“Ye are just really pretty,” he chuckles.  
She blushed cerulean looking down before looking up into his eyes giving him a soft smile. She leans up and kisses him softly on the lips, her arms wrapping around him and pulling him on top. He flushed up wrapping his arms around her, keeping her close as he deepened the kiss. Vriska’s fingers trailed up into his hair, brushing against his horns and gripping at his hair. His tongue slid down into her mouth to greet hers and he became more passionate with the kissing and his touches. One of Vriska’s hands slid down his back gripping at the bottom of his shirt and tugging up on it slightly. He sat up pulling off his shirt exposing his muscular, scarred, and tattooed torso to her. She smirks some and pulls him down into kissing her again pressing her body to his. After about ten minutes Dualscar pulls away and sits up looking down at her with a blushing face.  
“D-do ye wvant to do this? I mean after wvhat happened on Fang’s ship…” he asks with caution.   
“It’s okay… the gentle touches will make the bad ones go away…” she whispers.   
He blushes bright biting his lip, “I wvill be gentle.”  
Vriska sits up and pulls off her dress exposing her supple breasts, stomach, and panties too him. He grins his hands going to her breasts and squeezing them delicately, they were so soft. Vriska’s hand slides down his chest to his pants where she felt a particular appendage squirming against the fabric of his trousers. He gasps blushing bright, his shark tooth grin growing wider with excitement.  
“Sorry… I am excited,” he laughs.  
“It’s fine. I am excited too~” she replies pulling down on the zipper.  
Dualscar tugs down his pants throwing them to the floor in a ball before eagerly going back to kissing her. His hands stayed at her breasts squeezing them and pinching her cerulean nipples. After a bit one of his hands trailed down between her legs causing her to moan softly with pleasure. His thumb hooks on the lace and pulls her panties down exposing her completely to him. She blushed grabbing his boxers and pulls them down exposing his thick violet squirming bulge, that was already coated in his fluids, to her. He helps pull them off all the way and throws them on the floor with their other clothes. He positions himself to where his bulge was squirming against the entrance of her nook.  
“Are ye ready?” he asks bringing his lips down to her ear.  
“Yes~” she whispers.  
Dualscar thrusts himself inside of her, connecting with her intimately and completely. She moans out gripping his arms, her nails digging into his flesh, causing him to groan in pleasure. He moves his hips back and forth as he holds her soft warm body close to his. Both of their faces were flushed bright and they leaned in towards one another starting to kiss each other in passion filled ecstasy. Their bodies connected like pieces of a puzzle, everything feeling right about this entirely. Sounds of love filled the room and the two never had felt happier before in their life. All the pain they experienced, betrayal, sadness, loneliness, despair was gone, lost in the embrace they held. This wasn’t just senseless pleasure for them, but an amazing experience like none other. This wasn’t just pailing; this was love at its purest.  
After thirty minutes of sharing each themselves with one another they, in unison, achieved climax. Dualscar rolls off her in a sweaty heap panting heavily, with face that was bright violet. Vriska opens her eyes, after having them closed with pleasure, and glances over at Dualscar breathing heavily. She shuffled her body over some and curled up to his side resting her head on his chest. He smiles stroking her hair with a shaky hand, his other hand pulling the covers over their nude bodies. Once his hand finish pulling the bedding over them, she grabbed it holding it softly with hers.  
“So that just happened~” Dualscar chuckled.  
“Mindfang is going to kill us,” Vriska pants with a smile.  
“She already does wvant to kill us,” he replies stroking her hair.  
“I know… I also know that was incredible,” she giggles.  
“Aye~ So good~”, he whispers.  
“So, are we matesprits?” she asks.  
“That’s all I could ask for,” he replies smiling wide.   
Vriska smiles closing her eyes, nuzzling her body closer to him. Dualscar does the same holding her in a firm yet gentle embrace. The two of them fall asleep like this and sleep peacefully throughout the night.


	20. MoonStruck

Vriska’s face was at peace as she slept next to her new matesprit, her lips curled into a soft little smile. One of her hands held one of his tightly as her face was nuzzled close to his arm. Dualscar purrs softly at the feel of the smaller warmer body of his lover curled up next to him. Her eyes began to flutter opened, her gaze falling upon the gloriously disturbed face of the half-naked Mindfang mermaid. Her peaceful expression distorted to a horrified scowl and she screamed out. Dualscar jolted awake and looked down at her, pulling her into his arms worried.   
“Swveetie, wvhat’s wvrong?!” he asks.  
“Why the hell is Mindfang on your arm?!” she yells.   
“Oh... I got it back wvhen I wvas young and stupid…” he replies scratching the back of his head in an awkward manner.   
She sighs looking down, “Okay.”  
“Look I will change it to look like ye… Put some glasses on it…” he replies.  
She sighs and looks down, “Maybe last night was a mistake…..”  
“Wvhy?” he asks his fins drooping down with his frown.  
“Because do we even have anything in common … or do we just have… Mindfang in common…?” she sighs.  
He looks a bit hurt by that. “Vwris… I lovwe ye for ye… I wvanted to be wvith ye because I like ye … I knowv this is strange and I knowv wve are a vwery odd matespritship… I knowv others are gonna look at us wveird… I knowv wve are gonna be treated differently… but frankly I couldn’t givwe a damn because I got someone wvho is vwery special that lovwes me and no one wvill change my mind… Evweryone in this wvorld are assholes and of course they are gonna hate and judge and shun wvhat they don’t understand… but ye knowv wvhat? They are all ignorant fucks if they are gonna try to tear apart somethin’ beautiful because they don’t understand it. … Mindfang… she is just another ignorant fuck and dealin’ wvith her is the equivwalent of steppin’ in a pile of shit bare foot… Sure it is bad but ye wvill get through it…. Vwris…” He grabs her by the shoulders tenderly. “Don’t let some pile of shit ruin somethin’ beautiful…”  
She smiles weakly and kisses his cheek. “Yeah you are right… I found someone who loves me and I shouldn’t let anyone take that away… Not even myself.”  
He smiles holding her close to him. “Good because I really do lovwe ye Vwriska…”  
“I love you too, Dualscar,” she whispers before getting up out of bed. “I am going to take a quick shower.”  
Vriska walks towards the bathroom opening the door and entering it with a hum. There was a nice porcelain Jacuzzi tub by the side wall adjacent from the sink and toilet and on the far wall across from the door there was an incredible walk in glass shower. The floor was tiled in a decorative ocean mural of sea life and fancy aquatic patterns. She smiles softly to herself and enters the shower turning on the water and feeling the hot water rush over her.  
Dualscar enters the bathroom and looks at himself in the mirror tracing his thumb over the new stitches from the stab wound he had gotten aboard Mindfang‘s ship. He sighs softly to himself and looks up at his face, mainly the two ugly jagged scars, in the mirror with distaste. Vriska noticed him and stepped out of the shower walking up to him before wrapping her wet arms around him from behind. Her fingers trace over one of the scars on his stomach and smiles softly standing up on her tip toes to kiss his cheek. His face flushes violet as a soft closed lipped smile crossed his face and his fins droop gently with appreciation.  
“I nevwer did lovwe the scars… made me feel ugly and wveak,” he mutters.  
“I think you are beautiful despite them and you are strong for enduring the pain they caused,” she whispered.   
Vriska takes his hand, running a thumb over his scared knuckles causing him to turn and look at her face. Dualscar smiles softly at the girl and puts his hand on her wet cheek. He rubs little circles on her cheek with his rough thumb making her blush slightly. He brushes some hair from her face and leans in pressing his lips to her forehead.  
“Do ye mind if I showver wvith ye?” he asked softly.  
“Of course,” she replied smiling softly at him.  
They go into the shower together, Dualscar’s fins fluttered at the feeling of the water. He smiles closing his eyes turning his face up to the direct blast of the water. Vriska smiles up at him putting her hands on his cheeks giggling at the feel of his facial hair. He opens his eyes and looks down at her smiling gently at her, his hand coming to wipe hair from her forehead.  
“Oi, wvhat’s so funny, Lass?” he chuckles.  
“You have a scruffy face. Would ye like me to shave it?, “ she replied teasingly tugging at his beard softly.  
He rubs his chin with a huff, “I suppose ye be right.” He grabs a straight blade from one of the shower cubbies. “Ye can shavwe me face if I can wvash yer hair. Okay?” he asks handing it to her.  
“Why do you want to wash my hair?” she replied.  
He runs his fingers through it chuckling, “It is so soft and beautiful. Wvho wvouldn’t wvant to touch it?”  
“Oh okay, ye big softy,” she replies giggling.  
He rolls his eyes smirking and grabs her shoulders turning her around so he could look at her long wet hair running down her back. He takes some shampoo and begins finger combing it through her. He hums “A Pirate’s Life for Me” as he washes his beautiful matesprit’s hair. After ten minutes of making her hair soft and silky he turns Vriska back around letting her get to work shaving his face. Soon enough the two got out of the shower, Dualscar grabbing a big fluffy towel and scooping Vriska up with it.   
“Hey what are you doing?!” she laughs.  
“Just dryin’ ye off,” he chuckles rocking her in his arms.  
“Oh stop,” she laughs pushing his cleanly shaved face away.  
There was a knock on the door to the room; Vriska looks at Dualscar with a puzzled face. Dualscar sets Vriska down before grabbing a towel for himself and wrapping it around his waist. He walks out of the bathroom running his hands through his quickly drying hair and opens the door to the room. Dualscar’s first mate was standing out in the hall smiling wide at the sight of his Captain.  
“It’s good to see you alive…” the first mate stated.   
“Wvhat are ye doing here?!” Dualscar asked in shock.  
“The empress sent out some drones to find us and tell us you were here… Is Vriska here?…” he asked.  
“Yeah, she is fine,” the Captain replied.  
“Good… I was worried when she left after you… I didn’t know how her crew would treat her,” he replied. “Is Doc here too?”  
Dualscar sighed, “Aboard Mindfang’s ship wvas bad… Doc is dead… and Vwris… she didn’t exactly get a wvarm wvelcome.”  
“Oh… That bad?” the first mate frowns.  
Dualscar looks away upset. “I don’t wvant to talk about it.”  
“Is she okay?” he asks softly.  
“Yeah… She is a lot better nowv…”  
“Are you okay?”  
“If she didn’t come to help me I probably wvouldn’t be… I owve her evwerythin’.”   
The first mate smiles weakly, “That is good to hear.”  
“Wve wvill go to the ship in a bit. Just let us get our things together, okay?” Dualscar asked.  
“Yeah see you two in a bit,” the sailor replied closing the door and walking away.   
After a bit Dualscar and Vriska got dressed and collected their things so they could get ready to leave. Vriska was dressed in the violet dress once again and had ‘Pay 8ack 8itch’ strapped over her shoulder. Dualscar smiles kissing Vriska on the forehead before putting a hand on her back and escorting her out of the room with him. They make their way to the docks where they were rushed with a joyful crew who lifted them over their heads, as if they were crowd surfing at a concert. They crew set the two down on the deck, bombarding them with questions and making sure they were okay. Vriska looked out at the docks seeing the servant girl waving good bye to them. The Serket girl breaks from the crowd and runs down below deck into the doctor’s office. She grabs a case of herbal tea from the doctor’s desk and makes her way off the deck and to the dock. With a weak smile she handed it to the servant girl, who looked upon her with sad eyes as her hands grasped it.  
“This was his?” the servant girl asked.  
“Yeah… He drank it because of you… I thought you should have it…” Vriska replied.  
“… Thank you,” she whispered. “This… This means a lot to me…” the girl said softly.  
“I hope things get better for you. I wish you the best in life,” she stated turning to leave.  
“Good luck, Vriska,” she called out as the cerulean blood walked back to the ship.  
“)(ey Vriska!” the empress walked up beside the servant.   
Vriska turned around. “Yeah…”  
“Come ‘ere,” she called out.  
Vriska walked back over and looked up at the tall woman. “Yes?”  
“If ya are serious about krillin’ Mindfang… Ya s)(ould start collectin’ allies to )(elp… Alt)(oug)( Dualscar is a valuable ally )(e is reckless wit)( )(is emotions…Ya need someone wit)( no emotional attac)(ment to Mindfang… Someone wit)( a lot of followers…” The Condescension stated.  
“Well, got any recommendations?” Vriska asked.  
“Ya s)(ould go talk to my old moirail w)(en ya get a c)(ance…” she replied.  
“Okay who would that be?” the cerulean replied.  
“Grand )(ig)(blood. )(e will t)(reaten ya at first. )(ell )(e mig)(t even want to krill ya at first… but s)(ow )(im yer passion… s)(ow )(im yer fury… and ya can convince )(im… Ya )(ave )(is )(elp and Mindfang will got no w)(ere to run…”   
“This isn’t some attempt to get me killed, right?” Vriska asked quite skeptical.  
“T)(at is for ya to determine. Now go,” she looks up at the ship seeing Dualscar staring. “Yer buoy friend is waitin’ on ya…”  
The girl rolls her eyes chuckling, “Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the help, Empress.”  
Vriska walks back up to the ship and up to Dualscar, glancing at the docks one more time giving the Empress a wave. The ship sets sail off into the deep blue, off to send Vriska back to her home. Later that day Vriska goes to the galley finding a bowl of fruit on the table, she smiles picking up a bright shiny apple. Just when she was about to take a bite of the fruit the first mate walks in with a grin.   
“Hey there,” he says as he saunters over to her.  
Images of her first day aboard Mindfang’s ship flash through Vriska’s mind. She had an odd eerie sense of déjà vu as she gripped the apple in her hand and looked upon the first mate. She remembered smashing the fruit into her abuser’s face before being attacked by the malicious man. She shook some having a bit of a panic attack as she thought she was on that evil ship again. Dualscar’s first mate looked upon her worried and put a hand on her shoulder.  
“You okay?” he asked softly.  
Vriska snapped out of it. “Yes… I am fine…”  
“Okay… I wanted to thank you for bringing Dualscar back… It was brave what you did… and Dualscar told me you even chopped the bitch’s arm off… That took guts… You have my respect, Vriska. You have the entire crew’s respect. You are one of us… you always will be…” he smiles at her giving her a salute.   
“I just wanted to help my friend… I am no hero…” she replied biting into the apple.  
“Not just anyone goes to face their demons to save someone they care about,” he stated.   
Vriska looks up at him and sighs, “Yeah… but my demon is still out there… and because of me she wants to kill all of us…”  
“And we will all face her… We will lose good men… but we will all do it because we stand by your side…” he replied turning and walking off out of the galley.   
A week passes on the ship as it sails off towards the Serket girl’s home land. Vriska was relieved of all work for the time, and none of the other crew members complained about it, even going as far as to do simple tasks for her such as opening doors. She slept back in her mat in the study instead of in Dualscar’s bed just so the two wouldn’t draw suspicion from the crew. The Captain did want to spend as much time as he could with her since he wouldn’t be seeing her for a long while, but didn’t really want to deal with the gawking from the crew.   
It was finally the early evening of the last night and Vriska decided to hunker down and go to sleep early. She had been told they would be arriving to her homeland sometime in the middle of the night. She was dressed in just a thin tank top and shorts, the rest of her stuff, excluding her sleeping mat and a pair of clothes she would change into when she would go, was packed up. She sits down on her mat, feeling something unusually lumpy underneath the thing. She lifts it up finding Mindfang’s journal underneath it, she forgot she had that there; she had placed it there saving it for when Dualscar and her would destroy it. She goes over to the desk in the study, sitting up on it, and turns on the lamp starting to flip through the pages. She turns to one page and began reading a portion half way down the page.  
I nod her over. She is fearful and it makes her prettier. He scoffs without a movement or sound. I know there is disgust feeding the shadows in his corner of my 8lock. At least prick her in the light, he surely thinks. Determine what vulgar hue she 8leeds 8efore persisting with your a8asement, Marquise. Do try to understand, Orphaner. Not knowing is the point, and if you truly understood this, your crusade against the Gam8lignants would not 8e among our Grand High8lood's most uproarious punchlines. (If only one truly needed to 8e so high to find it amusing!) And so not knowing, I take her will, 8ut leave enough of it to enjoy her response. Her hands are in my service 8ut they still shake. They unfasten the first 8utton at my jacket's waist, clumsily. I have masked the line 8etween my puppeteering and her volition exquisitely, and her uncertainty over her own control fuels her fear. She unfastens the second 8utton, and 8etween the second and third, I make a casual remark to Dualscar, continuing our convers8tion. He does not respond.  
“I look again at the face of my slave, imagining for a moment her mind is not an unguarded port to her every dread. I imagine I cannot feel her conviction that it's not merely a matter of whether she will 8e put to the irons, 8ut how hot they will 8e if she fails to please. Poor thing. Her horns make attractive shapes and pair themselves pleasantly amidst her violent snarls of hair. Her fingers, which I have lost track of, to my surprise have come 8etween the petticoat and my skin. The heat of her touch tells me the likely range for the color of her 8lood. I wouldn't have guessed it to look at her, not with her sign stripped. Her mouth opens slightly and I squint. Ah! Razor sharp, and none missing. Perfect. How disappointing it is to find quivering lips hiding dull teeth. I pause to consider. What will her fear 8ecome if I choose to show her mercy later? And even, in days, kindness? Will this 8e the red dalliance that 8ecomes fully flushed? Love demands my cunning just as my raids. If it is to 8e, she will never understand how thoroughly she was manipul8ted, her 8ody, her mind, her devotion.”  
Vriska’s hands shake upon reading this; Mindfang practically molested and degraded her own slaves. Mindfang fed off the fear and sorrow of others like a spider sucking out the guts from its victims. Vriska had read this woman’s journal with such pride as a wriggler, what the fuck was wrong with her? She grew up praising a rapist and a murder. Then there was Dualscar, he wasn’t exactly a good guy back then, what made him change? Was he even to be trusted? Is anyone?   
Dualscar enters the study and looks at her smiling some, unaware of what the girl was reading. He was shirtless, just baring his striped pants as he strolled over to her. His smile faded as he looked upon the distressed girl’s face seeing what she held in her hands. He read a portion of what she had been reading, flashbacks of that day going through his head. He takes one of Vriska’s hands and holds it gently with a sigh.  
“I am sorry ye had the vwision of yer hero destroyed… She did use to be bright and admirable but … she changed once she started dealin’ in the slavwe trade… Wvhen that day happened…. I knewv she had turned evwil… I used to be a part of the slavwe trade too… but I respected them as people… I nevwer did wvhat Mindfang did to them… Wvhat she did… wvas disgustin’… I stopped tradin’ after I found out wvhat she had been doin’,” he sighs.  
“You are one of the good guys now. Right?” she asked.  
“I try to be…” he replied kissing her forehead.  
She kisses him gently wrapping her arms up around his neck. She slowly pulls their lips apart and looks into his eyes. “Good… because I don’t know how much more heartbreak I can take…” she whispered.   
“Ye don’t havwe to because ye got me… Evwerythin’ is gettin’ better… and soon ye wvill be back at yer hivwe… I am gonna miss ye… but I wvill make port evwery month there…. So wve can be together for a little wvhile…” he whispered kissing her again.  
She giggles, “I am still here… You can still spend time with me now…”  
Dualscar grins and kisses her deeply on the mouth, his hands going to her hips. Vriska closes her eyes and holds her matesprit close to her body, enjoying the warmth of the embrace. It was nice to be held by someone, it was nice to be loved by someone for once. The Captain grins his hands going to her rear and hoisting her up causing her to wrap her legs around him.  
Vriska pulls away from the kiss chuckling, “What are you doing?”  
“I figured a bed wvould be a much more comfier place to do this,” he replied kissing her cheeks.  
Dualscar carried her out of the study like this, enjoying holding her body to him like this. He felt so young again and it put a fire in him his sea beaten soul hadn’t had in a while. He walks down the hall heading towards his room, kissing her occasionally, loving her soft lips. His prideful alpha male demeanor faded into an incredibly dark wrigglerish blush when the two ran in the first mate in the hall. His eyes widened and his face turned into a giant Cheshire grin as he looked at the two lovers. He didn’t have the need to say anything because his gawking smirk said everything he felt.  
“Um….. Evwenin’ mate, I am goin’ to be …. Attendin’ to some important business in me cabin… so yer in charge for the night… tell no one to disturb me in me quarters or it wvill be the plank… got it?” Dualscar stated pulling over a tough demeanor.  
“Aye Aye Captain…. Have fun with your business…” He chuckled walking off to the galley.  
The rest of the crew was in the galley eating, drinking, and playing various games. The first mate busted through the doors grinning wide like a mad man. The rest of the crew went silent and looked upon him with baffled faces.  
“They’re doing it!” he yells.  
The crew cheers out, high fiving one another, clinking their drinks together, and laughing with joy. Some were paying money to others, having bet how long it would take for the two lovers to hook up. A crowd of crew members went up to the Captain’s closed door, putting their ear to it trying to listen. They were all giggling quietly like school wrigglers as they listened in on the intimacy, that was until Dualscar threw a lamp at the door making the crew scatter like cockroaches.  
Soon enough it was the middle of the night and Dualscar and Vriska were standing up on the deck of the ship seeing land in sight. Vriska could even see her hive up on the cliff and she smiled softly feeling nostalgia run over her. She got unexpectedly hugged tight by the chef causing her to gasp for air.   
“I am so sad… Me little Vrissy is leavin’ me. Who will help me cook?” the chef cries squeezing her and shaking her around.  
“I will see you again,” she gasped. “C-can you put me down before you break my spine?” she asked.  
He sets her down wiping his tears. “Here I got ye somethin’…” He stated handing her a care basket.  
“Aw chef… You didn’t have too…” she replied with a smile taking it.  
“I know… but I figure everthin’ in yer hive would be spoiled and stale,” he chuckles finally managing to stop crying.  
“Thanks chef…” she replied kissing him on the cheek.  
Dualscar and Vriska got in a life boat and were lowered down into the water by a few of the crew. As he began to paddle them away to shore the crew all waved to Vriska calling out goodbyes to her. She waves back to them before looking at Dualscar who was smiling weakly at her as he paddled. The boat soon hit the sand and she crawled out with a bag that had all her things in it over her shoulder, and the care basket in her hand.   
“Bye Dualscar,” she whispered.   
“This isn’t goodbye, Vwris… This is just a see ye later. I wvill be back in a month to make port… I lovwe ye…” he replied smiling.  
“I love you too,” she giggles.  
Dualscar smiles and after one last kiss he began to paddle back to his ship as he watches Vriska make her way up a path that went up the gentle incline of the cliff. When he made his way back to the ship he found a group of crying men and began laughing at them. They all looked at him embarrassed and quickly tried to be manly again.  
“Come! I say wve all need some of me good rum!” he yells.  
The royal blue blood gazed out the window of his hive staring at the incline up the cliff. He had just finished battling a bunch of his fighting bots and decided to enjoy some milk from a cup made from steel, so he wouldn’t break it. It was usual for him to be up so late at night, he was often restless and he always drank some warm hoof beast milk to settle him down. He took his towel and wiped some sweat from his brow as he enjoyed the late-night scenery. His eyes widened and he took off his broken glasses as he noticed a dark figure dancing among the moon light as it made its way up the incline and into his dead neighbor’s hive.   
“It can’t be,” Equius muttered.


	21. Pay the Ghost

Vriska walked up to the front steps of her hive with a sigh, there was caution tape over the doors saying ‘Warning: Do Not Enter’. Along with the caution tape there was graffiti saying things such as ‘THE BITCH IS DEAD’, ‘BEWARE THE SPIDER BITCH’, ‘HAUNTED BY THE SERKET’, and ‘DEATH TO THOSE WHO DISTURB THE SPIDER’S WEB’. She huffs unsheathing her sword and slicing through the caution tape before kicking the door in with her boot. She was tired and wasn’t really in the mood for the bullshit, she would fix her door later.   
She walks through her dark mansion-like hive feeling cerulean tears stream down her face, it had been too long and she had never realized how homesick she actually was before actually being home. She wipes her face and goes to flip a light switch only to find it not working; well she had been gone for over a sweep. She pulls a flash light from her pack and turns it one directing the low light beam across her main corridor. Her house was so dusty and full of cobwebs, but surprisingly wasn’t ransacked.   
There was a rustling sound coming from the main room, she looks that direction feeling a bit creeped out. There was then a sick gasp like hiss coming from the room that sent a chill down Vriska’s spine. She gripped ‘Pay 8ack 8itch’s handle tightly and made her way into the room looking around with the flash light. In the corner of the room she saw a dark ominous figure twitching its head in the corner. Her heart pounded a bit quicker and she stepped closer to it ready to strike at it with her blade. It lifted its head up at her and grinned showing off its twisted fangs and large horns. The horns, were Serket horns.  
“M-Mindfang….” she whimpered stepping back.   
How did Mindfang find her hive? Vriska’s heart dropped into her pit of her stomach, this couldn’t be happening, she thought. The figure let out a hiss and ran towards her with extended arms baring its claws. Vriska quickly dropped her flash light to the ground, the light flickering upon impact with the wooden ground. She grits her teeth and gripped the sword’s hand tightly swinging it at the ominous figure, it split in half horizontally. Its fluids splattering out of it and across the floor.   
The girl huffed snarling a lip as a drop of the fluid splattered on her cheek. She took her thumb wiping it off and looked down at it. She was surprised to see that this wasn’t blood, so she sniffed it, it smelled like oil. She looked down at the figure that was sporadically twitching on the ground; she could see a metal endoskeleton. She crouched down grabbing her flash light and examined the robotic figure. It was her, or at least was supposed to be her. It had matted hair that was tangled up with sea weed and bones of dead fish. The skin was fake, made from silicon or gelatin substance, with a rotten water-logged appearance that was hanging off on some places. The eyes of the dead Vrisbot were blood shot and always maintained a glowing menacing appearance. She sighs kicking it in the head causing the glowing eye lights to fade out to darkness  
“I am going to kill who ever thought this was funny,” she muttered to herself.   
Vriska collects her items and head up to her room deciding to get some much deserved rest. As she opens the door she was greeted by a white flurry of spider webs filling the whole room. Some of her eight balls were suspended from the ceiling by thick sticky webs. She pokes a spot of the web wall with her finger, causing it to squirm before exploding with thousands of baby spiders. She steps back one as they crawl around burrowing themselves back into the web. She had a couple pet spiders she kept in terrariums in her room before she left, they must have gotten out and multiplied. She closed the door and let them be, she would carefully collect them and clean her room tomorrow.   
The girl goes back to the main living room and sits on the couch deciding to just sleep there for now. She kicks her shoes off onto the floor and pulls off her shirt and bra along with her pants. After rummaging through her bag, she pulls out a soft long sleeve white tunic, it was Dualscar’s. She was already starting to miss him, she presses the collar of the shirt to her nose inhaling the scent of his cologne. She puts the shirt on and curls up on the couch, with the front of the shirt pulled up over her nose. She closed her eyes drifting off into a peaceful slumber; it was good to be home again, regardless of the no power, freaky robot, and spider babies.  
“I know what I saw… It was her…” Equius stated looking up at the door of the Serket hive.  
“You are lo2iing iit, Equiu2,” Sollux replied crossing his arms with a huff. “You mu2t of ju2t 2aw the robot II decorated two look liike her. Vk iis dead.”  
“We don’t know that. We never had proof!” the muscular troll states. “And what was the point of decorating one of my bots to 100k like her? It was a ridiculous prank and a waste of my good bot.”  
“II thought iit was funny,” the honey blood snickered.  
“LOOK WE SHOULD JUST GO. VRISKA HAS TO BE DEAD SHE HAS BEEN GONE FOR OVER A SWEEP,” Karkat yelled.  
“Vwell vwhy don’t vwe all just go in and check it out,” Cronus stated lighting a cigarette.  
“Diid you really have two iinviite, Fiish fuck 2.0?” Sollux scoffed crossing his arms.  
“Well in the sea dweller’s absence I presumed his dancestor would make as acceptable person to contact in case of the Serket’s resurrection,” Equius replied.   
“Vwhat are you? A vwalkin’ thesaurus?” Cronus asked.   
“OKAY, AGAIN LET’S JUST FUCKING GO,” Karkat huffs crossing his arms.  
“I say vwe go in…” Cronus goes to the door.  
“NO LET’S JUST GO!” Karkat growls.  
“Vwhy? You said it yourself… she is probably dead so vwhat’s vwrong vwith goin’ in a dead chick’s hiwve?” Cronus replied. “Are you scared of some Serket ghost, Shorty?”  
“SHUT UP YOU FUCK ASS… I JUST DON’T THINK WE SHOULD GO IN,” Karkat snarls.  
“Too late,” Cronus says as he tries to open the door.  
It was the early morning and Equius had informed some of his colleagues of what he saw during the night. As the group tries to enter they the door to fall off the hinges seeing that they were from being kicked in. The group walks in and they were greeted by a dissipating darkness as the sun light began to shine through the windows. Cronus took a step towards the main room slipping in a puddle of oil, that seemed to be coming from some source nearby, causing him the claw at the door frame to keep himself up. Sollux snickered at the sea dweller while Equius crouched down wiping up some of the fluid with his fingers. Karkat peered around the corner seeing the sliced in half bot on the ground in a pool of even more oil, he smacks Equius in the arm to get his attention. Equius looks up seeing clothes and bags on the ground beside the back of the couch.   
“SOMEONE IS HERE,” Karkat whispered.  
“Maybe it is the big bad Wvriska ghost,” Cronus chuckles.  
“SHUT UP,” Karkat hisses pushing Cronus into the room.  
There was a groan from the couch causing the group to go silent with shock and confusion. They headed over around the couch seeing the girl curled up against the cushions. The men looked upon her in awe struck, surprised that the Serket girl was still alive. Sollux leaned in poking the girl in the cheek, to see if she actually was real, causing her to stir and groan as she awoke. She stood up off the couch with loud yawn and stretched her limbs with her eyes shut tightly. Cronus looked Vriska over, analyzing her curves and features with a faint blush.   
“No vwonder Eridan missed you…” He muttered to himself.  
Vriska’s eyes shot open and she screamed, “What the FUCK!? Why are you in my hive?”  
Vriska tugged down at the bottom of her shirt covering her panties and thighs. She looked at the group flustered and confused at why they thought it would be okay to just barge in. It has been so long since she had seen them, she didn’t know whether to hug them or slap them for barging in. Her eyes shifted to Cronus, he was new to her, he must have been Eridan’s dancestor. Vriska and he have never met before.   
“Why are you alive?” Sollux asked.  
“Because I am Vriska and you can’t kill me suckers,” she scoffed.  
“Where… Where have you been?” Equius questioned.  
“Hell and back,” she sighs.  
“YOU OKAY, VRISKA?” Karkat replied.  
“I… I have been through… a lot…” she muttered crossing her arms.   
“Vwell vwe got to tell Eridan! He is gonna be so happy and he vwill stop poutin’ finally…” Cronus stated.  
“Tell ED… We got to tell everyone. TZ, Nep, Kan, Gam, Tav, FF, hell even AA… They have been curiiou2 about your dii2appearance and II know Tz, Kan, and Nep have been really upset…” Sollux stated.  
“Yeah Nepeta keeps asking about you…” Equius replied.  
“TEREZI AND KANAYA DID CRY AT THE FUNERAL,” Karkat says.  
“Funeral?” Vriska asked confused.  
“Yeah… We kind of had a service after you were gone for a sweep… You never contacted anyone… and we found your back pack washed ashore… We thought you had to be dead…” Equius stated.  
“Oh… Well then… That is understandable and a lot to take in… I never really thought about how all you guys would act to my absence…” she sighs looking down. “Give me a moment to change and I will be out to let everyone know of my survival… Just round everyone up on the beach… Okay?”   
“YEAH… WE CAN DO THAT…” Karkat replied.   
The group left the Serket hive leaving Vriska alone with her thoughts in the hive. She never thought about facing the others when she returned home. They were going to bombard her with questions and what was she going to tell them. The great Vriska was beat up by her ancestor, raped by a crew of scurvy men, was saved by her bloodline’s enemy, and fell in love with him. As she thought, she began thinking about what she was going to do about Eridan, she had to end their black and what was she going to tell him about Dualscar? She sighs changing from Dualscar’s shirt into a bra, black shirt with her symbol on it and some blue jean shorts. Gazing out the window she saw her fellow trolls gathering on the beach, making her heart sink some. Why did she feel scared of them? It was all too confusing, but they were waiting for her and she had to show them she was alive. She took a deep breath, stepped outside of her hive and slowly made down to the beach.  
As Vriska stepped out onto the white sandy beach in front of the crowd they all looked at her surprised and shocked, well except for Aradia, who didn’t seem to care and Gamzee who just had his normal sopor induced grin on his face. Terezi ran up to Vriska tackling her to the sand and licking her cheek to make sure it really was her. She grinned wide teal tears streaming down her face out from under her red shades.  
“S1ST3R IT R3411Y 1S YOU!” She laughed hugging her.  
“Hey, Terezi…” Vriska replied with a soft laugh sitting up and patting the girls back.  
“:33 Vriskers,” Nepeta squeaked pouncing on Vriska back down into the sand.  
“Hey Nepeta… Can you get off me? Vriska is a bit sore…” she replied.  
Vriska stood up before being hugged tightly by a crying Kanaya, “Oh I Am So Happy You Are Alive!”  
“Hey Kanaya… C-can you stop hugging?… I can’t breathe…” She gasped.   
Kanaya releases her wiping her jade tears from her eyes with a soft whimper. Vriska looks at the group analyzing their faces with a soft smile crossing her lips as her eyes watered. She can see how much they all have grown in just a little over a sweep, how much they have changed and adapted to the world and problems around them. They never did need her, and for some reason that made her happy, they were capable without her, all of them. She was so terrible to them, all of them, growing up, and she had to admit she was wrong for once.  
“You guys… are probably curious about my journey. You probably are wondering what happened to me and if I met Mindfang. Well, I did meet Mindfang… and well don’t meet your heroes… Mindfang was cruel… and I was a fool for trying to be her. Aboard her ship was my personal Hell. I experienced abuse like none other… I experienced this for a sweep before being thrown overboard into the ocean… But… I was saved by none other than the Orphaner Dualscar… He is unlike the cruel man like the legend depicted him as and he made me a member of his crew before he brought me home…” she states.   
“You reely met Dualscar? T)(at is incredible!” Feferi exclaimed.   
“Yeah and after experiencing what I have gone through… After having someone I cared about use and abuse me… I realized I have been terrible to all of you… I have been a bitch, and I probably always will be, but I want to be a little less of a bitch.”  
Vriska takes a deep sigh and looks at them sadly. “Karkat, I am sorry for making fun of your leadership skills and insulting you frequently. Aradia, I am more than sorry for being the cause of your death, you never did deserve that. Tavros, I have been shit to you… You were so sweet to me when no one else was and I took that for granted… I broke your back and continued to harass and demean you after. I am sorry. Sollux, I used my powers to make you eat mind honey in a successful attempt to make you kill Aradia, I am sorry. Nepeta, I am sorry I always tried to scare you and never let you have your way when we role play… I should be fairer to you… Kanaya, I wasn’t a good moirail to you… I cared more about my own feelings than yours. Terezi, I blinded you… I blinded my Scourge Sister, I am shit for that. Equius, after putting up with the shit I put you through as a neighbor I should apologize for not respecting you for that. Gamzee, I purposely try to scare you, I insult your intelligence constantly and I make fun of you a lot… Sorry. Eridan… I should have listened to you… I should have listened to a lot of things you said… I should have respected our kismesissitude more… and I am sorry I left you; I never thought my absence would hurt you this much… I should have cared more about your emotions. Feferi, I was always was a bit harsh to you… to be honest I was a bit jealous how everyone liked you… So Yeah… Those are my feelings about the whole situation. I just want to try to be better to all of you,” she said awkwardly.  
This was so unlike her, but she felt a little better expressing her apologies. Vriska scratched the back of her head awkwardly looking at the shocked faces at the group; her eyes then fell upon Eridan who just looked like he couldn’t believe anything and still felt sad. She was about to approach him when Feferi ran up hugging Vriska in a vice grip.  
“Fuck! You are breaking my back!” Vriska gasped. “I don’t know if that is your goal, but STOP! I mean, could you please set me down.”  
Feferi giggles letting go of her, “You are trying. We are so proud of you.”   
“Yeah, thanks,” she muttered.  
Cronus looked around the group then down at his little descendent, who seemed unsure and upset. He patted his back and walked up to the group sticking a cigarette between his lips. He looked down at Vriska and smirked gently at her. Cronus had a charming yet cocky demeanor about him in his mannerisms, especially his smile. Many didn’t know whether his smiles meant genuine happiness towards something, or were used to mask an ulterior motive. Vriska looked up at him narrowing her eyes some, she noticed small scars on the base of his fins, as if someone tried to cut them off, and scars around his gills. He puts a hand on her shoulder pulling her away from the group some and closer to him.  
“Look ewveryone, it is excitin’ and all that Wvriska is back, but vwe should giwve her space… There are some people here that need to speak vwith her more than others,” he states gesturing to the scarf wearing seadweller. “So come… vwe call all harass the cute cat later.”  
The group understands the elder Ampora and leaves the Serket and little Ampora alone on the beach. She sighs walking up to him looking into his eyes, giving a soft, but weak smile. She was unsure if she should give him a hug or any form of physical contact because of the confused and nervous way he was staring at her.  
“It is really you?” Eridan asked.  
“Yeah, it is me,” she sighs.  
“I never realized howw much I wwould miss you until you left,” he muttered sadly.  
“I am back now…” she replied putting a hand on his shoulder.  
“Wwhere wwere you wwhen I wwas losin’ my mind because I let you get your fuckin’ self killed?! Wwhere wwere you wwhen I felt utterly alone?!” he growled starting to tear up.  
“Dying a little bit inside… and trying to find myself…” she sighs.  
He hugs her tightly burying his face in her neck. “You fuckin’ bitch,” he muttered with a soft chuckle.  
“Oh you stupid fish dick,” she giggles hugging him back.  
Eridan kisses her slightly aggressively in a black manner before pulling away grinning. “Wwe havve a lot to catch up on.”  
Vriska blushed before sighing, “Eridan… I know you really missed me… and want to express your black lust and energy to me, but… I can’t be your kismesis anymore.”  
He frowns, “Wwhat? Wwhy?”  
“I have a lot to tell you,” she muttered.


	22. It Could Happen to You

“Wwow Vvriska… I am sorry,” Eridan stated wrapping his cape around the blue blood.  
“It is okay. It wasn’t like it was your fault,” Vriska sighed resting her head on his shoulder. “If I actually stayed like you wanted me to it wouldn’t have happened to me.”  
“Yeah, but if wwhat you said happened wwas true… I feel like an ass for yellin’ at you wwhen you got back. I can’t believve Mindfang wwould do that to you. You dedicated your life to her and she just laughed in your face and let you get hurt. That is just… so fucked up,” he sighs.  
“I am okay now, and it wasn’t entirely bad. If it wasn’t for Mindfang hurting me I would have never had the experience I had with Dualscar. It was pretty cool being a part of Dualscar’s crew,” she replied with a soft smile.  
“Yeah. I am jealous. I wwish I could havve met my ancestor. You are evven more badass noww. You survvivved life on hell’s ship and then became a member for the creww of the most frightenin’ man out on the seas. I wwish I could havve met him. The wway you described him makes him sound evven more awwesome,” he chuckles.  
“Well you can actually… He will be back in a month for port,” she stated smiling softly.  
“Really? Wwhy here though? There are better ports out there,” he replied.   
“Oh, because he’s my…” She paused for a moment. She never did tell Eridan that Dualscar and her were matesprits. Eridan would be pissed if he found out Vriska left him because it turns out she was in a relationship with his own ancestor, let alone sleeping with the man.   
“He’s your wwhat?” he asked confused.  
“My… My captain… He treats his crew like family. Since I was part of his crew he wants visit me often to make sure I am okay, especially after saving his life and the whole Mindfang thing…” She hoped he would buy that.  
"I guess that does make sense. That is awwesome though, he sounds pretty interestin'. Noww let's talk about howw you chopped off Mindfang's arm! That is bad ass," he laughed.  
"Yeah... She deserved it, " Vriska muttered.  
"Are you wworried about her comin' to kill you?" He asked with a concerned expression.   
Vriska sighed curling up in his cape looking down. "Every moment I think about it. I know she is out for vengeance. I don't know when she is coming or what she is planning. At least she doesn't know where I live.... As far as I know."  
"Wwell, I wwill stand by your side no matter wwhat," he replied.  
"Those are pretty big words coming from a former black mate and it is even stranger hearing it come from your mouth," she chuckled.  
"Yeah... But wwe are still fronds. Right?" He asked.  
"Of course. I need friends now more than ever. I need to know I have people I can count on. I appreciate it, Eridan," she stated.  
"Wwhat do you plan on doin' noww you are back?" He asked.  
"Well first I plan on cleaning and fixing my hive because it has been neglected and it is decomposing some. Then I am going to train and expand my knowledge and skills, " she says with a light growl.  
"So, you can be prepared for Mindfang?" He asked.  
Vriska just snarls a lip with her fangs bared tightly. She balls her fist up ready to punch something hard. She wanted to kill that woman, beat her face over and over till her skull was flat. Eridan frowns patting her back to let her know it was okay, but Vriska only festered in unholy rage. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. That word repeated itself over and over in her head with images of that ungodly woman's corpse broken, dismembered, and gutted. Kill. Kill. Kill. KILL.   
Her eyes flashed dark for a moment before snapping out of her fury. She looks upon Eridan sadly and quickly stood up shrugging off the cape he wrapped around her. She sighs grabbing her head in pain, images of the torture she endured flashing over and over in her brain.   
"I got to go!" She stated breathing heavily.  
"Vvris are you okay?" He asked taking her hand.  
"Yes! I just need some time to myself," she snapped.  
Vriska ran out the door and began running down along the beach. Eridan would have chased after her, but he learned when Vriska said she wanted to be alone it was best to leave her alone. She headed back into her hive running into her bathroom looking into the mirror. Her vision faded out in short rapid blurs and her eyes began to throb in pain. It had been so long without her glasses her eyes had begun adapting, but now it was all blurs again. Why? Why was this happening?! Vriska pulled at her hair. Oh shit she was losing it. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. She kicked the base of the sink and let out a low guttural shriek. She took a deep breath her hands releasing her hair and going to her mirror. Her fingers traced along the edge, dust particles coating them, before pulling the mirror out revealing a medicine cabinet. It was fairly empty except for a toothbrush brush and paste, a bottle of aspirin, bandages, and a glasses case. Her hand wraps around the case and pulls it out looking down upon it with blurry vision. She pops the case open whipping out her spare set of glasses and placing them on her face. She looks in the mirror, the throbbing pain in her eyes going away and her vision clearing up. Well that is better, some what. At least the glasses made it to were she didn't completely resemble her personal crypt keeper anymore.  
Vriska looks at herself sadly. Disgusting! Her eyes were bloodshot, puffed up and swollen from the painful streams of tears that had flown from her eyes when she told Eridan the horrible and detailed experiences she faced aboard that ship that forbid dreams and hope. 'LOOK AT YOU! YOU ARE A WEAK PATHETIC 8ITCH! THE SAD PART IS THAT YOU FUCKING KNOW IT. YOU ALWAYS HAVE. YOU TRY TO 8E STRONG. YOU TRY TO IMPRESS THE OTHERS WITH YOUR COCKY UNCARING ATTITUDE, 8UT YOU ARE JUST A STUPID LITTLE 8ITCH. WEAK! STUPID! YOU HAVE NO FRIENDS! YOU HAVE NOTHING! YOU ARE NOTHING! EVERYONE KNOWS IT! ESPECIALLY YOU! JUST KILL YOURSELF!' She grabbed her head feeling the hurt flowing through every fiber, membrane, and cell of her body. She closed the mirror shut looking into it, a smug smirking Mindfang standing behind her with her arms crossed and her hips swayed.   
"Glad ye finally see how pathetic ye are. I was always tellin’ the truth to ye. Ye are such a dum8 little 8itch," Mindfang cackles.  
"Shut up!" Vriska screamed punching the mirror shattering it.   
Her hand was bloodied with painful glass splinters in it. She snarled her lip turning around and looking to see no one. There was no Mindfang. There was no one, but her, and her episode. Episode.... Is this what Dualscar experiences? Is this what the PTSD the first mate had talked about felt like? She sighs running water over her wounded hand. This wasn't good, she was losing her mind. She pulls out the glass shards from her hand and fingers before taking the roll of bandages out from the medicine cabinet and wrapping it up.  
Vriska heads back into her living area looking at the catering basket the chef had given her. She bit her lip lightly seeing a large bottle of strong liquor nestled in the basket. Leaning in she wrapped her hand around the neck of the bottle, pulling it out. There was a note from the chef taped to it that read:  
‘Hey Vrissy, I know ye like to drink and I don’t know what yer drinking situation is back at yer own hive so I figured I would give ye the best shit I could dig up in the kitchen. This is some of the finest and strongest liquor I know, even makes ole Dualscar stumble flat on his face so drink wisely, a glass is all ye need to get a good buzz. This should last ye awhile, unless ye try to drink it all at once which will make ye shitfaced like you have never felt. Ye know what happens to a drunken sailor, hehehe’   
She held it up peering into the glass bottle her hand shaking slightly. She grits her teeth putting it down on the coffee table with a soft huff.  
"I shouldn't... It isn't good... But... But one sip can't hurt," she muttered picking the bottle back up.  
Her eyes scan the room, this place was a shit hole, her eyes then travel looking at her hand, she felt like shit. She deserved a drink; she opened up the bottle quickly and began drinking the liquor, it burned her throat bad, but she didn’t care. Within minutes she drinks half of the bottle and plopped down on the couch with a drunken grunt. Her brain throbbed in pain to the rhythmic pitter patter of her beating heart. It felt like the world was decaying around her and her skin was numb to the touch, yet underneath the it felt like it was squirming with thousands of crawling spiders. All around she felt gross and pathetic feeling, it was a shameful.   
Vriska's asymmetrical glassy glazed eyes hovered over the half empty bottle in her hand. She shouldn't, her mind was too weak to handle a full bottle of the liquor's strength. Her eyes look down at her bandaged hand, cerulean blood was leaking through the white fabric. She balled her fist exhaling through her nose before getting up and heading outside. She walked up to the edge of the cliff that her hive sat upon and looked down seeing the sandy beach down below. Jump~ a little voice whispered in the back of her brain, the thought wasn’t even fully conscious and only lingered about. Her feet shuffled up to the very edge, pebbles falling off as her toes hung over the edge.  
“vRISKA,,, PLEASE! d-dON’T LET ME FALL!” a voice echoed in her head.  
Images of a long-horned rust blood falling below, and hitting the sand with a hard back breaking thud flashed before her. More screaming echoes in her mind making her brain feel like it was rotting slowly and painfully in her skull. Her hands, the hands that pushed him, shake some as she backs away from the edge. She holds her head, dark tears streaming down her cheeks as she falls to her knees.  
“Tavros…” she whimpered. “I… I am so sorry…”  
Vriska drops her hands from her head as she grits her teeth and stands up from the dirt. She began running away from the cliff and past her hive in determination to find Tavros. After what felt like hours, it was dark out by this time, she finally reached the low blood’s hive kicking in the door which unfortunately the liquor was to blame for. Not only did the alcohol make her appear and enter the building like a hive invader, but also made everything feel fuzzy and wobbly.  
“vRISKA!” Tavros yelled looking over at the drunken girl from the couch.  
The blue blood stumbled over to the couch plopping down on the longhorn's lap, awkwardly straddling him. The clearly frightened boy threw his hands up in surrender as if he was being held up with a gun by a psychotic troll. Vriska wraps her arms around him in an embrace, slothfully resting her head on his shoulder. The startled and confused Tavros slowly just patted the girl on the back  
in a kind attempt to return the unwanted hug. Some strong and intoxicating scent came off the girl filling his nostrils causing him to scowl. Was that… alcohol? The burnt orange blood thought. Tavros had never had any personal experience with drinking, but he was familiar with the smell for it was occasionally lingering on Gamzee or Cronus.   
“uHHH,,, vRISKA? aRE YOU,,, uHHH DRUNK?” he whimpered afraid of a violent backlash from the girl.   
“Oh Tavros… I… I am so sorry…” she murmurs into his neck. “I just wanted to be your Tinkerbell, but I was your Captain Hook… I hurt you... I… I thought if I pushed you… metaphorically… and literally, you could be strong, but I failed you… and I continued to beat you down after…” She began crying gripping his shoulders. “ I should be the one in a wheelchair… I deserve to be broken…”  
“vRISKA? aRE YOU OKAY? yOU ALREADY KIND OF SEEM BROKEN TO ME,,,” He replied calmly petting her hair.  
She continued to cry, “You should push me off that cliff… Please do it…”   
He grew a bit shocked by this grabbing her shoulders and pulling her away so she could look at his face. He put a hand on her cheek wiping a tear away, even though more continued to flow. He sighs softly to himself his eyes gazing over the broken spider girl, her eyes were hollow and strained.  
“vRISKA,,, i AM NOT GOING TO ACT LIKE i WAS NEVER UPSET ABOUT WHAT YOU DID,,, eVEN THOUGH i NEVER SHOWED IT, i WAS ALWAYS ANGRY WITH YOU,,, yOU HURT ME AND YOU BROKE ME MAKING ME FEEL LIKE i WAS GARBAGE,,, i WANTED TO GET BACK AT YOU, BUT NOW THAT i LOOK BACK AT IT, THAT JUST ISN’T WHO i AM,,, lOOKING AT YOU NOW, SEEING HOW BROKEN YOU ARE, HONESTLY MAKES ME FEEL A LOT BETTER,,, nOW YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO HAVE SOMEONE YOU CARED ABOUT DEEPLY HURT YOU,,,” He lets go of her face and sighs running a hand through his hair. “yOU’VE CHANGED,,, i SEE THAT, AND i ALSO SEE THAT THIS APOLOGY WAS GENUINE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DRUNKEN AS WELL. i DON’T WANT TO FESTER ON THE PAST,,, wE WERE WRIGGLERS,,, sTUPID IMMATURE FOOLS WHO SCREWED UP ALL THE TIME. vRISKA i KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT THE PAST SWEEP,,, i’D BE LYING IF i SAID i DIDN’T MISS YOU,,, aND AGAIN i DON’T WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE FESTERING ON THE PAST, SO i FORGIVE YOU,,,”  
She looks at him wiping her tears sniffling some, “H-how can you forgive me? I was so awful…”  
“bECAUSE FOR ONCE WE ARE FINALLY ON THE SAME PAGE,,,” He whispered smiling weakly.  
“B-but y-your legs…”  
“vRISKA,,, wHILE YOU WERE GONE i GOT SOME WORK DONE,,, i CAN WALK AGAIN,,, SO THERE IS NOTHING TO REMIND YOU OF WHAT YOU DID, SO SHHH” He muttered kissing her forehead.  
Vriska just nods becoming quiet, she was starting to feel a little bit better hearing him say that. She began to lighten up some, until it felt like the world was dizzy and Tavros’ face was fading from two to one to two to one before going black. Her eyes rolled back closing as she fell off Tavros and onto the floor with a loud hard thud. Tavros jolted up in a panic and looked around quickly unsure of what to do with the passed out drunk girl. He picked up his phone and began calling for help.  
“Really? O-okay. I wwill be ovver soon,” Eridan replied hanging up his phone.  
“Vwho vwas that?” Cronus asked looking over at Eridan from the couch.  
“Tavvros… apparently Vvriska kicked in his door, cried, and is noww passed out drunk at his place… Do you knoww howw to deal wwith drunk people?” the younger Ampora asked.  
“Vwhat kinda question is that? Of course I do…” he muttered getting up from the couch, lighting up a smoke.   
Some time passes before the Ampora duo were on the front porch of Tavros’ hive being frantically informed of what happened by the brunt orange blood. He leads them in pointing over to drunk girl who was positioned on the couch as if she fell from an eighty-foot drop. Her mouth was wide open with some drool dripping down her chin added by the end of a lock of hair hanging in her mouth. Cronus couldn’t help, but snicker at this, being all too familiar with this look.  
“Wwhat the fuck Tavv? Wwhy did you lay her dowwn like that?” Eridan growled.  
“i,,, i DIDN’T DO IT. sHE KEEPS TOSSING AND TURNING,,,” Tavros yelps.  
Cronus busts out laughing, “This is priceless.”  
“Cro this isn’t funny! Vvriska doesn’t drink, she could be seriously fucked up,” he yelled.  
The older Ampora walks over flinging the girl up over his shoulder as if she was nothing. “She’s fine. Vwe vwill take care of her. She just needs rest for novw and in the mornin’ vwe vwill deal vwith nursin’ the killer hangowver she vwill hawve. Come on Eridan…”  
The two leave with the drunk passed out Vriska in tow, and head back to their hive. Once home Cronus lays Vriska down in the bath tub propping her up on her side using some pillows. He drapes a blanket over her body so she could stay warm; Eridan just looks down at his intoxicated friend confused and worried.  
“Wwhy does she havve to sleep in the tub?”  
“Vwell incase she wvomits in her sleep. I put her on her side, so if that does happen it vwill come out and she vwon’t drovwn and choke to death in her puke,” he calmly stated.  
Eridan makes a disgusted face, “Gross! That actually happens?”  
“Yeah quite frequently actually… It has happened to people I knovw,” he replied exhaling smoke from his cigarette. “So vwhat vwould driwve her to drinkin’?”  
“Wwell… Don’t share this wwith anyone okay? Vvris got abused pretty fuckin’ bad by Mindfang and her creww… Her creww abused her… sexually… I guess that wwould break anyone… Evven her,” he sighs.  
“Poor babe,” Cronus mutters looking over her with sympathy.  
“I hope she gets better,” he whimpered.  
“Don’t vworry chief,” he stated patting Eridan on the back with a soft smirk. “She vwill. If vwhat you told me is true, a strong vwoman like her vwill pull through.” He then yawns quite loudly. “Vwell I am beat. I’ma get some sleep.”  
“Wwell I am goin’ to stay and wwatch her… Just to make sure she wwill be okay,” Eridan sighs looking down at Vriska, taking a seat beside the tub.  
“Okay suit yourself. Night Chief,” he replied leaving the room.  
“Night,” he whispered softly looking down at the girl.  
In the middle of the night Cronus got up from his room and headed to the bathroom needing to use the toilet. He groggily entered and groaned walking over to the toilet undoing his fly so he could piss. In a half-asleep daze his eyes shifted over to his little dancestor passed out leaning up against the tub. He sighs, slightly annoyed, rolling his eyes he finished up and zipped up his pants. He exits the bathroom only to return a few seconds later with a blanket and a pillow. He covers up the little troll and places the pillow carefully under his head, so he could be comfier. There, now he wouldn’t have to wake up to a hungover girl AND a spoiled boy complaining about having slept uncomfortably. Cronus shuffles back over to his room and resumes his slumber, drifting back into peace.  
In a ship far out in the ocean, there wasn’t a peace that night as a monstrous woman roared and screamed. Her left arm was just a bandaged up nub, and anyone who even looked at it the wrong way lost their own arm. She was in her chambers at the moment, sitting at her desk using a sharp knife to make eight fine lines of a white powder. She leans her face in using a rolled up boon buck to snort up the white dust into her nasal cavity. After the seventh line a crew member walked in causing her to yank her head up growling with pure anger.  
“What in the fuck do ye think ye are doin’ in my fuckin’ quarters!?” she yelled.   
“We got the item that you requested Captain Mindfang,” the man stated firmly.  
She gives a wide wicked smirk. “Excellent 8ring it here,” she commanded.  
The man walks over with a long thin item wrapped up in a brown tattered cloth. He stands before her unwrapping the item revealing a robotic arm with long steely claws, spikes on the shoulder and elbow, and a sagittarius symbol engraved into the forearm. She grins wide tracing her fingers along the cold metal of her new appendage.  
“Well hook it up would ye!” she demanded.  
The man nodded unwrapping the bandages from her nub discarding them onto the floor. He properly hooks the metal to flesh, using thick needles with cord attached to the appendage to jam into her meat. She grins like an insane woman and began swinging her new limb about, wiggling her fingers around.   
“That idiotic milk tongue, Darkleer, knows how to make an arm,” she chuckles.  
“So, what’s the plan now, Captain?” the crew member asked.  
“I think you know that! I am goin’ to find that fish fuck and gut him alive. Thinks he can kill me first m8 and get away with it… Even though I did find out that stupid asshole was 8ack sta88ing and stealing me drugs, 8ut regardless no one kills me men,” she snarls slamming her new robotic fist down.  
“And the girl?” The crew mate asked.  
Mindfang chuckles darkly leaning in and snorting up her last line of cocaine with the boon. She cocks her head back, eyes closed, and takes in a deep breath through her nostrils. Her eyes shoot open, the blood vessels dark in the yellow of her eyes and her pupils growing wide before sharply dilating. She drops her head down and yanks it towards her crew member her sharp fangs glimmering in her smirk.   
“Kill. Kill. KILL,” she cackles loudly.


	23. Best of Times

As morning rose so did the young girl finding herself puzzled as to why she woke up in a bathtub next to a little Ampora passed out on the floor. Well this was an interesting situation to wake up to, but after what she's experienced she wasn't really surprised that she was waking up in an unusual environment. She sneered grabbing her head in pain that was throbbing from drinking all the liquor, which she felt stupid for doing now. With a sigh she gets up wrapping the blanket around her, and gets out carefully stepping over the slumbering Eridan. The mischievous black side of her wanted to step on him, probably in the crotch region, or jam a toe up his nose or in his ear fin, but she restrained herself from doing so. Things weren't the same anymore. Things were very different.  
Vriska takes a deep breath and quietly leaves the bathroom, doing her best not to disrupt the boy. She goes outside on the patio, looking out at the ocean as the sun was beginning to rise from it. She closed her eyes taking in the feel as she let the salt air hit her skin, it was cool, but nice feeling. That was one thing she always loved about living in this area, it was so close to the ocean and the air always felt so refreshing and pure. Her eyes opened half way and her pupils shifted to the side as she heard someone else step out on the patio.  
"Hey Babe," Cronus grunted sitting down on an Adirondack chair.  
"Hey," she muttered closing her eyes not really caring to pay him any mind.  
Cronus kicked back in the chair and started to light up a cigarette closing his eyes in relaxation. As the tobacco started to catch fire and smoke Vriska's eyes shot open once the smell hit her nose. She licks her lips before gritting her teeth, in desire and restraint.  
"Hey..." She muttered.  
"Hm?" He opened an eye looking up at her.  
"Got another?" She asked.  
"Another vwhat?" He replied.  
"Cigarette..." She grunted.  
"Oh? Didn't take you for a smoker," he replied.  
"Yeah yeah. Got another?" She muttered.  
He pulled a carton out of his pocket, there was only a few left, but he wasn't stingy so he gave her one regardless. Along with the cigarette he handed her a lighter as well, so she had something to light it with. Within a couple seconds she had it lit and between her lips taking a deep inhale. With a relaxed sigh she blows out the smoke letting the wind catch it and whisk it away.  
Handing the lighter back over she muttered, "Thanks."  
"No problem." As he took the lighter from her he noticed the gold bracelet with sapphires on it she wore on her wrist. "Nice bracelet. Looks expensiwve. Get that out on the seas?" He asked.  
She looks down at it smiling softly to herself. "Yeah... When I was aboard Dualscar's ship we got attacked by some pirates… After taking them out and looting their ship we found a lot of gold. Since I was a part of the crew Dualscar allowed me to take a prize for my hard work... I really like this bracelet... It lets me know it wasn't all that bad."  
"Eridan told me it vwas bad on Fang's ship... Vwhat kept you from giwvin’ up?" He asked.  
"I did give up. I gave up. I lost hope and let myself be pushed around. Drinks and tobacco were my friends," she sighs blowing out smoke.  
"So that explains the drunken rampage last night... You kicked in that poor long-horned guy's door," he stated with a chuckle.  
"Oh shit! Poor Tavros... I need to fix his door.... And also my hive," She muttered.  
"If you need any help vwith your hiwve I can help. I am good vwith my hands," he chuckled wiggling his eyebrows.  
She scowled scoffing, "Really?! You are gonna hit on me?"  
She ashes her cigarette flicking it into the ocean before walking back into the hive. Eridan was just exiting the bathroom as she entered the main room. He walked up to her with his fins drooping slightly with both exhaustion and concern.  
"You.... You okay?" He asked crossing his arms.  
" Yeah... Better... Thanks... You know.... for caring about me," she murmurs.  
"Yeah Vvris... It's cool," he sighs looking at her. He then sniffed the air and grimaced. "Ugh I smell smoke... Wwas Cronus smokin' in here?"  
"No... He is outside smoking. You might be smelling it.... On me actually..." She muttered looking down.  
"Vvris! Since... Since wwhen do you smoke!? You are really concernin' me... I can understand wwhat happened affected you, but you'vve changed..." He stated.   
She growls, "Things change Eridan! I can't go on acting like nothing happened! Like... Like I never did anything wrong. I've kept all my emotions bottled up! I kept from showing any regret in fear of seeming weak!" She yells before whimpering tears streaming down her face. "I... I am tired. I am tired of acting like I can't be hurt, like I am amazing in every way when I am not... I am sorry I can't be that cocky bitch you knew, but I am tired of hiding how I feel... You... You just don't get it... Things just can't go back to the way they were no matter how hard you try to make it... Bad things happen, people get hurt, and people change... I am sorry Eridan..."  
"Vvris... I am just wworried you are gonna hurt yourself... You can change wwithout losin’ wwho you are... You lost yourself and you need to find her before she is gone forever... I knoww bad things happen, but you can't lose sight of the fact that... That… That people still... Lovve you... People still wwant you safe... And people still care... I am not askin' you to be a cocky Bitch again... I just miss that classic Vvriska smile and the strength you had no matter wwhat the situation... I miss the prankster... The dork... That adventurous girl wwho didn't just roll ovver and take it... The one wwho stood up for wwhat she believved in wwhen she kneww there wwas no one wwho had her back and she kneww she didn't havve a chance... But... She kept strivvin'.. She kept fightin' because she kneww that this wworld wwas hard and she refused to givve up... Givin' up isn't the Vvriska motto... You gotta fight, Vvris... You got to showw yourself that not evven yourself wwill stand in the wway... I am not askin' you to flip like a swwitch and I can't make you, but you can't givve up," he sighs putting his hands on her shoulders.  
She sighs looking down before her eyes trailed up to greet his and a smirk crossed her face. "Don't patronize me, Fish Dick," she teased.  
"I... I am not," he chuckled.  
"Eridan... I get what you are saying... And I understand me being different is unusual for you... But you got to give me time to adjust... You know what happened to me..." She replied.  
"Yeah... So wwhat kept you from not givvin’ up?... I mean a lot of people in that situation wwould of... You knoww... Ended it..."  
"Why didn't I kill myself? I thought about it, multiple times. I almost let it happen... When Mindfang tossed me overboard I sank down some. As I floated there, for a brief moment, I decided to let myself sink down all the way. I was just going to let the ocean consume me, but I thought back to that promise I made. I told you I was going to come back, and that made me muster the strength to keep going," she said softly.  
"Aww... You do care about me," he giggles teasing her.  
"Oh, shut it," she grunted.  
Cronus had been standing outside the door listening in on their conversation. He heard them fighting, and he didn't want to be one to barge in, this wasn't his place. He didn't like hearing his little kin get upset though, so he almost stepped in, but that was till the tone got gentler. He smiles softly to himself, and finally stepped in the room.   
"Vwho vwants breakfast?" He asked going into the kitchen.  
"I am starving, " Vriska stated sitting down at the counter.  
"Depends on wwhat you are makin'?" Eridan replied sitting by Vriska.  
"Food," Cronus chuckled.  
"Wwhat kinda food?" The little one whined.  
"The edible kind," he muttered with a cocky grinned.  
"I am good with edible food," Vriska replied.  
"So wwhat do you plan on doin' today, Vvris?"   
"I was going to go to Tavros' place to fix his door and then I was going to get started on cleaning my hive. It needs work," she replied.  
"Wwell call if you need any help," Eridan muttered.  
"Yeah. Okay," she says with a soft smile.  
After breakfast, Vriska thanks the two Amporas for the breakfast and care before heading out to her hive. It was nice to take an easy relaxing walk, being able to take the cool breeze in her lungs and the enjoy the view. It was the little things like this that reminded her that there was some good in the world. Once at back at her hive she noticed a couple large containers of black paint and some paint brushes on her front step. She looks around a bit confused at why that was there, but shrugged it off going in to change. She comes back out in some jean shorts, a black tank top and little red ankle boots with knee high socks with little purple fish designs on it. It was what she could dig out of her bag from Dualscar's ship for all her other clothes were in her spider infested room and she wasn't in the mood to tackle that mess at the moment. She goes over to her neighbor's hive and knocked on the door.   
"Oh hello Vriska," Equius stated opening the door.  
"Hey... Can I borrow some tools?" She asked.  
"Why do you need t001s?" He asked looking down at her.  
"Well... I kind of... Kicked in Tavros' door," she muttered scratching the back of her head.  
"I thought you had a new goal of not torturing him," Equius replied.  
"Yeah... And I didn't mean to... I was... I was… um... Drunk," she muttered embarrassed.  
"What? Vriska that is highly-"  
"No. I don't want to hear a lecture. I already got it from Eridan," she huffed cutting him off.  
He crossed his arms and peered down at her over his glasses. "Anyways... I will disregard that. I guess you could borrow my t001s as long as you return them in the condition you got them in."  
"Yeah of course... Hey did you see whoever put the painting stuff on my door step?" She asked looking up at him.  
"I put that there. I am tired of living ne%t to a hive with profanity spray painted on it. It is 100d and just plain trashy 100king," he stated adjusting his glasses.  
"Oh... Thank you.... Um... How much should I pay you back?" She asked awkwardly.  
"Pay me back? The only pay back I have ever seen you do is the vengeful kind. I like the new you that has respect for decency and doing the right thing now. This is a nice change. The paint is free, just get that smut off your wall please. I am growing tired of 100king at it and I do not like Nepeta 100king at it when she comes over,” he replied letting out a soft sigh.  
“Well if it was bothering you so bad why didn’t you paint it when I was gone? I mean, it wasn’t like you knew I would come back…” she asked.  
“Well, I did multiple times. I tried to maintain upkeep on the outside of the hive, and try to keep 100ters from coming around, but Sollu% and other h001igans kept spray painting 100d and uncalled statements about you on the walls and I grew tired of trying to cover it up. I had work to do and couldn’t be spending my time focused on it, but since you are alive there is nothing to be concerned about because you can do it now,” he huffed.  
Vriska smiles up at him kindly, “Thanks Equius. I appreciate you watching over things in my absence. Even though there was the chance of me being dead you still made sure nobody took advantage of me being gone. That was pretty nice of you to do.”  
Equius sweats a little and looks away, “Of course… Let me get the t00ls so you can fix Nitram’s door.” He muttered abruptly before he quickly turns and walks off into his hive.  
He quickly comes back out and hands her his tool box still sweating a little. She takes it with a friendly smirk and walks off to Tavros’ hive. When she arrived he was already working on trying to fix his door. She sighs softly walking up to him helping by taking off the busted hinges with a screw driver. After about twenty minutes she had fixed up the long horn’s door, and headed off back to her own hive. Equius was in his front yard talking with Nepeta, so she just left the tools on his front door.   
Vriska then looked at the task she would have to tackle now, seeing the various curse words and hateful statements. Some of the graffiti said things like ‘Spider Bitch’, ‘Stupid Cunt’, ‘Crazy Serket’, and then there was the one person, who had just repeatedly painted the word ‘Bitch’ over and over about a hundred times. She sighs cracking open the paint and getting to work covering up the statements and hate. It was sun down by the time she had finished repainting her hive, and she had paint smears all over her. With a sigh of exhaustion, she falls back in the grass closing her eyes trying to relax, until she heard some footsteps. She didn’t bother to open her eyes to see who it was because she was too tired and her body ached.   
“Thank you for getting rid of that profanity and returning my t00ls in the proper condition,” Equius stated looking down at her.  
She weakly raised her thumb up and panted, “No problem.”  
“Are you alright?” he asked.  
“Yeah… Perfect… Just tired,” she huffed.  
“Well that is obvious... So how is the inside of your hive?” he replied.  
“Awful I can’t even get to my coon or shower because spiders took over my hive… It is just filthy… I have no power either…” she complained.  
“Sounds like you have it pretty rough… I guess out of sympathy and the idea of being neighborly I suppose you can spend the night at my hive. You can use my shower and sleep on the couch. That would be fine… Just don’t do anything stupid,” he sighs helping her up.  
“Really? You would let me in your hive… Thanks,” she says smiling at him.  
He sweats a little, “Yes… you deserve a break… Especially after your journey.”  
“Let me just get some clothes to change into and then I will be over shortly,” she states walking into her hive.  
Vriska gets her clothes and walks over to her neighbor's hive. She takes a pleasant shower before face planting down on his couch and passing out. The next morning, she woke up early and left so Equius didn't know have to put up with her when he woke. When she was back at her own hive she got to work cleaning up the main room. As she was cleaning she saw a large portrait she had of Mindfang hanging over the fireplace; she took it down tearing up some.  
“Why Mindfang? Why did you hurt me? I loved you so much I would have done anything for you… I wanted you to be proud of me… You were my hero in the world… You made me feel proud to be myself… That was until you made me feel like I should die… I built my life around you… Everything I did was for you! Why? I loved you, Mindfang… I loved you so much... " she wipes some tears from her eyes. "How could you? How could you?!... I... I am your descendant... I am your blood... I love you..."   
Vriska whimpered looking down at the portrait tracing her fingers over the eight-pupiled eye of the portrait. She puts it down propping it up against the couch and went over to the fire place. She lit a fire watching the flames rise, after a few moments of seeing the flames flicker up she went over and grabbed the portrait. She whimpered kissing the forehead of the portrait before tossing it in the fireplace. The paint began to shrivel up and flake off due the heat. Vriska looks away unable to watch and just got to work cleaning.  
Out in the far ocean was the Orphaner's ship working at its efficient manner as usual. They had just taken down some whale lusii which would provide the Empress' lusus with a good meal. Dualscar sat on the rail of the ship smiling peaceful as he looked out at the sea. His first mate sauntered up leaning up against the railing beside him.  
"Hello Captain. Why so happy?" He asked.  
The seadweller looked over and chuckled. "Wvhy not? The day had barely started and wve already took dowvn a massivwe kill. It is just a good day, I wvoke up in a great mood."  
"Thinking about your little matesprit were you," the first mate asked with a cocky grin.  
"Shut up... And I alwvays think about her... I miss her and I hope she is doin' okay... The days feel slowv wvhen she isn't here..." Dualscar answers looking down at some dolphins jumping beside the ship in the water.  
"You really do love her, don't you?" He asked.  
"Of course I do... She is a good girl... Misunderstood, but a good girl... She needs to knowv there is someone wvho lovwes her... Especially after the Mindfang thing..." He sighs.  
"It is a shame about you and Fang... You two had a pretty good black... Many were jealous of it," the first mate replied.  
"Fuck her... Especially after wvhat she did to Vwriska... That wvoman changed... I couldn't be wvith her anymore... She isn't a person. She's a disease and she wvas makin' me sick..." He hissed.  
"And Vriska... You love her... For her?" The other asked.  
"Yes, I do... Wvhy? Do ye think I don't?" He muttered.  
"It isn't because you want to just comfort her or you feel like you have some sort of duty to clean up Mindfang's mess?"  
Dualscar snapped, "I lovwe her! She is so full of life and she makes me feel happy and young again... She makes me feel like I am strong again... She is so beautiful and smart and she has this light about her I can't explain... Yes... She has faults... She is troubled... But she isn't damaged goods I am just tryin' to salvwage... Yes, I wvant to protect her... Yes, I wvant to take care of her... But wvouldn't ye wvant to do that for someone ye lovwe? She is special to me and I do lovwe her... If I lost her I wvould feel dead inside... She means the wvorld to me... Ye just don't understand wvhat wve havwe been through together."  
The first mate sighs, "Okay okay I get it... I am just trying to look after you, you know? That is what a first mate does for his Captain... I just don't want you getting hurt again by a woman..."   
"Vwris... She wvouldn't hurt me..." He muttered.  
"Dualscar I just want you to be careful. I don't think Vriska would hurt you either. She doesn't seem like she would, but I just want you to be sure of what you are doing..." He stated.  
"I knowv wvhat I am doin'. She isn't like the other wvomen I'vwe been wvith... Wvhen I am wvith a wvoman and things start to get intimate I jump into it right awvay and just care for the cheap pleasure, but... But wvith Vwris... The first time I stopped meself... I told her I couldn't do it because I wvas scared I wvas forcin' her into bein' wvith me... I wvanted her to make the choice... I wvanted her to wvant to be wvith me ... Not feel like she had to be wvith me... I havwe nevwer felt that wvay about any wvoman... Wvell excludin' ye knowv wvho... And I mean... Wvhen me and Vwris pail... It isn't like a cheap pleasure or anythin' like that... It wvas like wve connected on a wvhole 'nother levwel... It wvas lovwe... I havwe nevwer felt that..." He says looking over at the first mate.   
"Okay... I have faith in you... Be careful..." He sighs.  
Dualscar nods looking down at the water. "That wvater looks invwitin' I am gonna take a dip..."   
Dualscar pulled off his top and kicked off his boots before diving in. He swam down under the boat looking at the barnacles stuck to it, he would have to clean that later. He then began to think about Mindfang. Ugh Mindfang that wvench! He thought to himself.  
He thought back to when he was a young lad and he had just got the title of The Orphaner from the Empress. He was slaying lusii left and right and gaining scars along the way. One night, with a full moon in the air, he manned the helm of his ship gritting his teeth as another ship had come and collided with his. He growled watching as pirates started invading his ship and he grabbed Ahab's Crosshairs, the very first one he had. He took out a few foreign men that were wreaking havoc before a Molotov hit the deck. He jumped back away from the wall of fire and growled.   
A young woman clouded in a black armored dress, wielding a cobalt steel sword emerged from the flames. She gave a wicked smirk looking at the concerned seadweller. She gave a teasing curtsy to the man before holding her sword to her chest.  
"Ye must 8e the 8ig 8ad Orphaner I have heard so much a8out," she giggles.  
"Wvho the fuck are ye wvoman?!" He growled pointing his crosshairs at her head.  
"Oh no," she huffed seeing the harpoon in her face. "It appears we are at a standstill..." She scoffed.  
"Ye didn't answver me fuckin' question!" He roared.  
"I... I am surprised ye haven't heard of me~" she giggles swaggering back some. "I... I am the gr8 pirate queen these seas have ever seen! I... I am the Marquise Spinneret Mindfang Serket," she boasts posing with one hand gripping the handle of her sword and the other on her hip in a saucy manner. "And what do you go 8y?" She giggles.  
"Wvell that wvas quite the fuckin' introduction... See ye are a 8ig one for theatrics." He groaned lowly. "I am Orphaner Dualscar Ampora... Nowv wvhy the fuck are ye on me ship?!"  
"Dualscar... " She smirks giggling. "Quite a nickname... I like it~ Even makes pathetic fools like you seem intense!"  
He growled pointing his crosshairs at her again. "Don't taunt me wvoman! I'vwe gun dowvn plenty of lusii! I am not afraid to take dowvn an annoyin' little Bitch. Nowv I wvill ask ye again! Wvhy the FUCK are ye on me ship?!"  
"Are ye deaf?... I am a pir8 duhhhhhhhh... I am here to steal yer shit..." She cackles.  
"Like hell if that wvill happen... Get off me ship!" He roared.  
Mindfang giggles sauntering up to him sheathing her sword. She grabbed the barrel of the crosshairs pointing it away from her. She looks up into his eyes smirking, running a hand along his cheek. He grits his teeth backing up away from her, but she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
"Oh. Orphy ye are goin' to learn that I am goin' to get what I want no matter what... And no frustrated cute seadweller will stand in my way," she says softly in his ear.  
"I don't knowv wvhat yer gettin at lass, but ye better get lost now..." He hissed.  
She hears a loud whistle from one of her men signaling her to go. "Lucky for ye I am gone~" She kisses his lips biting down on the bottom one as she pulls away. "8ut this isn't the last time ye will see me..."   
He growled blushing bright. "Be gone Lass!"  
She runs off to the edge of his ship grabbing a rope that swung to her from her own ship. "Oh Orphy... This is only the beginning~ Farewell for now~" she giggles swinging from the rope to the other ship.  
Dualscar's first mate runs over panting, "The pirates managed to steal three of our cannons."  
"WVHAT?! That stupid Bitch distracted me!" He yelled blushing dark.  
"Bitch?" He looks over at the ship sailing away. "Who was that?"  
"SHE..." He growls before wiping his mouth off with his hand, blue lipstick smeared on his hand. "She is... One hell of a wvoman."  
"Captain? You okay...?" He asked.  
He chuckled grinning wide, "Oh I am excellent."


	24. The Trust

"NO! Please... Oh god... Please... Please stop..."  
"Hush girl! Stop yer fucking crying, ye are making me lose focus..."  
"Ahhh! Fuck! Please STOP. You are hurting me!"  
"Ngh! Shut up, Brat! Before I make ye regret it!"  
"It hurts 8ad! Oh fuck! Let me go now!"  
"I will rip that pretty tongue out of yer mouth if ye continue to speak!"  
"I-I am going to tell Mindfang! Y-you will 8e punished for this!"  
"Hehehe... Ye really think that she cares about ye, little girl? Ye aren't shit. She doesn't care what we do to ye. Ye are ours now... And I have ye know... I am not good at taking care of me things..."  
"Y-you a-are wrong... She loves me..."  
"Ye will be surprised by how right I am..."  
"N-no...."   
Vriska woke up wiping some cold sweat from her brow. Today was a new day and she needed to get to work on her hive once again. She rose from a fort of blankets and pillows she made from the couch. Sure, that was a wiggler thing to do, but it made her feel innocent again. The main room was cleaned up and looking better, lacking the dirt and grime. She still needed power, but she wasn't sure how to fix that problem. She changed into her work clothes, tying her hair up into a ponytail, once more and stood stretching and cracking her back.   
With a soft sigh Vriska walked into her kitchen, which had also gotten a good clean the day before. She did most of the work on the fridge, cleaning out all the rotting and spoiled morsels of food leaving it a hollow chrome husk that only mocked starvation. Luckily for her she still had the gift basket from chef and she could at least start off the day with one of his delicious sweet rolls. She sits down at the dining table taking the basket and digging through it until she pulled out what she desired, wrapped up in a white cloth napkin. Her mouth watered some when she felt the soft fluffy delight squish slightly as she gave it a gentle squeeze. She unwrapped her little bundle of joy as only one word crossed her mind like that of some primitive lower level being, 'FFFFOOOOOOOODDDD'.  
As she brought the soft dough ball to her lips there was a knock on her front door. ‘Who the fuck wants to bother me?’ she thought to herself as she stood up with an angry pout. She opens the door greeted by a group of stooges, Sollux, Equius, Cronus, Karkat, and they were lead by Eridan. With a sigh she just steps out of the way and letting them enter her hive, without a hello or any greeting for that matter. She quietly made it back into the kitchen and sat down going to enjoy her breakfast regardless of their presence.   
“Mornin’ Vvris,” Eridan states walking up to her. Vriska only replied with an unamused grunt as she shoved a sweet roll into her mouth. “Don’t be bitchy,” he chuckled.  
“Why are you here?” she groaned with her mouth full, how attractive.  
“Wwe came to help you of course…” he says with a smile.  
“Why?” she huffed painfully swallowing the large lump of dough down her throat.  
“Because you need it. Sol can help bring your powwer back, Equius can help fix anythin’ broken, and Karkat and I can help clean your hivve,” he replied.  
“And Cronus is here because…”  
“He is a lonely bastard,” Eridan stated bluntly.  
“Hey! I am not lonely, shut up! You need to get your facts straight, Chief,” he called out.   
“You are a lonely bastard, Cro. You are desperate and needy. Deal wwith it,” Eridan yelled.  
“So are you… You hit on anyone,” Cronus yelled back.  
“You hit on anything,” Eridan snarled.  
“Both of you fii2h diick2 are lonely pathetiic ba2tard2,” Sollux scoffed.  
“Fuck you, Sol!” Eridan yelled.   
“Fuck you, ED,” he scoffed.  
“Don’t tell my dancestor to fuck himself,” Cronus growled.  
“You can both fuck your2elve2 or each other. II frankly don’t care eiither way…” Sollux mutters.  
“WOULD YOU THREE SHUT THE FUCK UP?!” Karkat yells.  
“Can all this 100d language cease?” Equius huffed.  
“DON’T EVEN FUCKING START EQUIUS,” Karkat screeched.   
The group of idiots began squabbling and Vriska’s eye just twitched annoyed with the whole situation. She opened her mouth for a brief moment, but instead of saying anything she just face planted her face on the table. The group heard the thud and turned their attention over to the girl.  
"Vvris?" Eridan walked over putting a hand on her back.  
"Can you all just shut up? I mean.... I appreciate you coming to help and shit, but still... I have been through a lot... Last thing I want is to hear is you idiots ramble and bitch about pretty much nothing..." She groaned.  
Eridan gave a sad chuckle as he scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry... You know how we can get..."   
"Yeah... Yeah..." She muttered standing up. "So, are you guys going to help me out or not? I would appreciate the help..." She stated.  
" Yeah Vvris." Eridan smiled. "Wwhat are friends for?"  
Throughout the day the group helped fix up Vriska's hive. Sollux managed to get the power on after a couple of hours which lifted Vriska's spirits immensely. Normalcy was slowly returning in her hive again and it felt nice to have control over her own life again. She spent a good five minutes turning lights and appliances on and off in the kitchen and in the main room, giggling with joy like an idiot the whole time. The group just watched in confusion, unaware of how much of a positive effect this had on Vriska.  
Eridan chuckled, "Wwell it is good to see you happy ovver this... Since your powwer is wworkin', that means your fridge is wworkin' too. Howw about wwe go get some foods to stock your kitchen wwith?"  
Vriska smiled softly. "Yeah I would like that."  
"Good let's go..." He says as he sauntered to the door.  
She narrowed her eyes for a moment. "Equius!" She called out.  
"Yes?" He replied.  
"Since you are my neighbor... And the only one I can trust. I want you to watch over my hive. Make sure the others don't get into anything they shouldn't. I hope you see to that." She stated looking over the other males.  
"Of course," he stated with a nod.  
She smirked. "Perfect! Be back soon."  
Vriska runs out the door with Eridan, energy was running through her veins once more. She felt new and young like a wriggler excited for what the day had ready for her. It was nice to finally feel at ease after nearly a sweep and a half of insanity.   
"So, what's the deal with Cronus?" Vriska asked sticking her hands in her pockets of her shorts as she walked.  
"Wwhat do you mean?" He replied looking over at her.  
"Like... Why is he living with you?"  
"Wwell... Wwhen wwe all thought you wwere dead ... I got really depressed... I really needed someone to be there so Cro came to help me... But I guess I wwasn't the only one wwho wwas depressed..." He sighs.  
"What do you mean?" She asks looking over at him.  
"Wwell... On the outside he pretends to be happy, but I knoww he is upset about somethin’..."  
"How do you know?"  
“I once caught him tryin’ to cut off his fins wwith a razor… He wwas cryin’. Wwhen I tried to ask him wwhat wwas wwrong he just pushed me awway sobbin’. I knoww somethin’ troubles him… I thought maybe he didn’t like being a   
seadwweller, but then I caught him tryin’ to saww off his horns… I don’t knoww wwhat his problem is, but it hurts to see him in pain because I thought he wwas the kind of guy that could nevver feel pain. I mean evven wwhen people call him desperate and shit he jokes it off...” he sighs crossing his arms. “I feel bad for him…”   
“Everyone feels pain Eridan… Even if they don’t show it… It is still there…” she replied looking down at her shoes as they walked. “But I know what you mean… Hopefully we figure it out before he really hurts himself… I know he must be scared and afraid… I am too. How often does he do that, or have a break down?”  
“Maybe once a wweek, I don’t knoww… I hear him cry in his room sometimes… I nevver go in because I don’t wwant to make things wworse,” he sighs.  
Back at Vriska’s hive, Sollux noticed the cobalt sheathed sword in the main room. He picked it up due to curiosity and unsheathed it looking at the blue blade shimmer in the light. He taps it with his finger, his claw clicking against the metal. Karkat walks over looking at it with him, raising an eyebrow in question.   
“Thii2 2word ii2 new… II am concerned about where 2he got thii2 from though…” Sollux muttered.  
“ARE YOU SAYING SHE STOLE THIS FROM MINDFANG?” Karkat replied.  
“Look at the blade…” Sollux stated pointing to the initials M.S.M.S.   
“M.S.M.S.? WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT STAND FOR?” He scoffed glaring at the blade.  
“Maquii2e 2piinneret Miindfang 2erket, you iidiiot,” he grumbled.  
“FUCK YOU SOLLUX,” he snapped.  
“You tvwo idiots put that dovwn. I doubt Wvriska vwants you playin’ vwith her svwords and shit… I mean I am all for explorin’ and shit, but if Wvriska finds out she vwill get pissed and then you vwill got to hear Eridan vwhine about bein’ inconsiderate or vwhatewver… Do vwe vwant that?” Cronus asked grabbing the sword from them.  
“YEAH WHATEVER. STILL… LOOK AT THAT SWORD… YOU KNOW IT IS MINDFANG’S… YOU THINK SHE STOLE IT? WHAT IF SHE COMES LOOKING FOR IT…?” Karkat replied.  
“Doubt it, I mean… I obtained Dualscar’s original crosshairs through unorthodox means and he newver came bangin’ dovwn my door,” he answered with a shrug.  
Cronus slides his thumb across the edge of the blade, it was sharp alright, his thumb was now bleeding. He sheathes the sword putting it back where they found it before sticking his bleeding thumb in his mouth and sucking on it gently. Equius quickly comes down the stairs, having gone up there to check out what exactly was so bad about Vriska’s room.   
“I think you three should 100k at this,” Equius pants sweating some.  
The group followed Equius up to the door of Vriska’s bedroom. “2o what diid you fiind? Wa2 iit pornography?” Sollux snickered.  
“NO WAIT A NICK CAGE BODY PILLOW,” Karkat laughed.  
“Vwho the fuck is Nick Cage?” Cronus muttered.  
“No, that is 100d! She told me her room was infested with spiders. I didn’t expect it to be this bad…” he stated as he opened the door.  
“Holy 2hiit… That ii2 a lot of 2piider2...” Sollux gasped.  
“WHAT THE FUCK DO WE DO ABOUT THAT?” Karkat asked.  
“Um… Vwe could burn it…” Cronus states.  
“WE CAN’T KILL SPIDERS… VRISKA WOULD MURDER US,” Karkat replied.  
“I hawve an idea,” Cronus stated shutting the door. “Problem solwved,” he says walking off down the stairs.  
Vriska and Eridan soon returned back to the hive with handfuls of bags filled with groceries, she even got a tub of new slime for her recuperacoon figuring the old stuff would be stale. When they were at the store, Vriska had gone behind Eridan’s back and purchased a ton of tobacco and alcoholic beverages, she didn’t want him to know in fear of him worrying about her. As Eridan helped put up the groceries, Vriska snuck off with her bag of contraband and hid it away in one of the end tables in the main room. She jumped up as she heard someone approach her, causing her to quickly shut the drawer. She turns around a nervous smile across her face as she looked down upon Karkat.  
“Oh, hey Karkat… How is it going?”  
“GOOD. YOUR HIVE ISN’T LOOKING LIKE A FUCKING DISASTER ANYMORE, SO THAT IS GOOD. YOUR ROOM IS A DIFFERENT STORY,” he replied.  
“Oh yeah I know about my room, I will work on that in a minute,” she huffed not looking forward to rounding up spiders.  
“SO VRISKA… WHERE DID YOU GET THAT SWORD?” he asked.  
“Oh…” she walks over grabbing it. “Dualscar gave it to me… He got this from Mindfang back in the day and thought I deserved it.” She unsheathes it looking down upon the blade, a scowl crossing her face at the initials. She never noticed that before.   
“SOMETHING WRONG?”  
“Bitch’s initials are on my sword…” she growls. “I will have to cover that with something,” she muttered angrily to herself.  
After convincing Equius to carve the name ‘Pay 8ack 8itch’ into her sword she, along with the help of Eridan, went to her room to work on her spider problem. She planned on releasing the babies out into the woods so she started a careful task of swirling chunks of web around a stick, like that of cotton candy, and gently setting them down in a large terrarium for holding. After the doorway was cleared the room actually opened up and her room wasn’t entirely bad as she expected, luckily the spiders had just sealed off the doorway, not filled the entire room. The spider’s silk that was left, was mainly accumulated in the corners of the room. Soon enough all the webs and visible spiders were gone, leaving Vriska feeling much better now that she could enjoy her room again.   
“Do you think that is all?” Eridan asked.  
“I haven’t seen any others…” she replied looking around.  
A large fat butted spider crawled out on her desk looking at the pair with eight little beady eyes. It was cerulean in color and was about the size of a baseball, with long little spindly legs. Vriska spots the little spider smiling at the sight of it.  
“Oh look… It is my little pet… You must be the one making all the babies. Must have found a way out of your tank, huh?” Vriska giggles.   
Vriska reaches her hand out to pick up her little pet, smiling in reminiscence of when she first got the little critter. The joy and nostalgia quickly faded when the spider bit down on her right hand hard with its sharp little fangs. She growled in pain smacking the spider away as she went to clutch her bleeding hand. Tears ran down her face as she snarled a lip at the little spider curled up on her desk.  
“Wwoah Vvris you okay?!” Eridan asked rushing up to her.  
“How could you do this to me?! I did everything for you! You were everything to me! Why would you hurt me like this?!” she screamed.  
Eridan’s fins drooped realizing it wasn’t the spider she was talking about anymore. “Vvris… It is okay… Maybe your spider wwas just scared…”  
Vriska growls at him tears streaming down her face before she ran off to the bathroom slamming the door shut. Eridan runs after her, slowly opening the door to find her washing her bloody hand in the sink grumbling curses under her breath. He walks up to her placing a hand on her back, but she quickly smacked it away in anger. The rest of the group runs up having heard the yelling and the slamming of doors.  
“Eri, vwhat’s goin’ on?” Cronus asked.  
“Vvris, she-”  
“Get the fuck out of here! Leave me alone,” she screamed.  
“Vvris they just wwant to help…” he whimpered.  
“I don’t need your fucking pity! Leave me alone! Get the fuck out of my hive!” she yelled as she pushed Eridan out of the bathroom slamming the door shut, which was followed by a loud crashing sound.  
“Vvris!” he yelled in concern opening the door.  
The mirror cabinet over the sink had fallen off the wall from the door being slammed, and had crashed down on her. She was slumping against the wall pushing the mirror off her body with an angered snarl. Luckily the glass didn’t break any more than it was from being punched earlier, but the mirror’s edge had slammed right down above her left eyebrow, cutting and bruising the skin. Her left eye swelled up with cerulean blood, the trauma to her head, plus the added stress, caused a blood vessel to pop in her eye. She stands up shakily grabbing her head in pain tears streaming down her face.  
Eridan sighs, “Oh Vvris... Here… I got you…” He wrapped an arm around her and began to lead her to the kitchen. “Can one of you grab a first aid kit?” he called out.  
Eridan had sat her down at the kitchen table, and once he received the medical kit he began to patch her up. She stopped crying and just grew quiet as he carefully cleaned her hand up and wrapped a bandage around it. After that he leans in putting a little band-aid on the cut over her eyebrow.  
He gives a weak smile his fins drooping some. “There Vvris…” He looks at her eye. “Can you see out of it?”  
“Yeah… A vessel popped… Nothing major… It will go back to normal…” she sighs.   
“Are you okay?” he asks.  
“Better now… I… I am just tired… The stress of everything just got to me…” she muttered.  
“No more wwork for you today… Besides your hive is pretty clean noww, you just got your room to dust and stuff, but you can do that tomorroww…” he states smiling softly.  
“Yeah ...okay,” she mumbles.  
“Eri,” Cronus called out.  
“Wwhat?... Hold on I wwill be right back…” he says getting up and going to Cronus. “Wwhat?”  
“She okay?” he whispered.  
“Yeah…” he sighs.  
“What happened? Why diid 2he freak out?” Sollux asked lowly.  
“Her spider bit her… I think it triggered thoughts of Fang,” Eridan sighs.  
“HOW IS SHE NOW?” Karkat whispered.  
“Better… She isn’t sevverely hurt or anythin’, but her emotions are gettin’ to her…” Eridan says.  
Vriska walks up to them looking down sadly with her arms crossed. “If you guys want to talk about me, don’t do it behind my back…” she sighs. “Sorry for yelling… and thanks… for helping out today… I couldn’t do it all by myself… I guess I will see you guys tomorrow…”  
“I managed to catch that spider for you… I put it in the tank on your desk…” Cronus states.  
“Thanks,” she replied.  
“So Vvris wwe wwill see you tomorroww right?” Eridan asks.  
“Yeah… I just want to shower and relax now… Thanks again…” she says.  
The group left and Vriska went up to her room taking a nice cold shower to wash the filth of the world away. After getting fresh and clean she tosses on Dualscar’s tunic shirt once again and decided to cook up a nice dinner from the foods that she got at the stores. After dinner she goes to the end table where she hid her booze and smokes, she thought she deserved a nice drink and it would also help her get to sleep. She grabs a small bottle of vodka and drinks from it slowly getting a good buzz on. She smiled drunkenly and stumbled up to her room stripping down so she could slip into her coon filled with new slime. She sank into the slime, gently closing her eyes before soundly falling asleep.  
As night fell she was alerted to the sound of something outside her door, it sounded like yelling. She rose from the slime and stumbled over to the door to groggy to be nervous. She opened the door and was greeted with boiling rays of sunlight in her eyes, the sounds of men cheering around her. Her eyes shot open fear rushing through her veins as she saw Mindfang’s crew around her chanting and hollering. She quickly did the best she could to hide her slime covered nudity with her hands and arms. Many hands gripped around her body and dragged her to the mast, rope constricting around her and binding her to it. She squirmed in fear her nails clawing at the wood of the mast fearful for what was about to happen.  
“W-what the hell is happening?” she screamed struggling more.   
Mindfang walked out with a devilish smirk branded across her face, in her hand she held several sharp daggers, like some sort of demented bouquet of torture. “Hello, Little Gru8,” she chuckled.   
“M-mindfang w-what are you doing? What’s going on?” she whimpered.  
“I got 8ored… so we are going to play a game. Ye see… I am going to take these knives… and throw them at ye… Don’t worry… I will try not to hit ye. Sounds fun right?”   
“N-no… Please don’t do this!” Vriska cried.  
“Aw 8a8y girl…” Mindfang walks up to her gently grabbing her chin. “Don’t you trust me?” she pouts.  
“I d-don’t want to…” she cried softly looking away.   
“Hmmmmmmmm? Too 8ad… Trust me, Sweetie… This will 8e fun… For me at least…” she scoffed.  
The Beldam let go of Vriska’s face and smacks her across the face leaving a stinging blue mark on her cheek. She takes her first knife lining it up with the dip in her crescent shaped horn and flings it at the girl, hitting the wood of the mast behind her. With the second knife she lined it up just below the young one’s left ear before flinging it, the blade just grazing the skin. There were five more frightening rounds of knife throwing at Vriska, blades pressing against her nude skin just on the borderline of slicing into her. Mindfang then held the eighth knife, the final knife, and targeted right at the middle of her forehead.  
“Watch this one men!” she laughed.  
“W-wait what are you doing?” she yelled.  
Mindfang threw her arm back before launching her arm forward in one swift motion, her fingertips releasing the blade. Vriska’s heart pounded watching the blade spin towards her. The pulse quickened as it spun closer, and closer, and closer. Then everything stopped, everything went black. Her body went limp, her skull skewered to the mast, mouth ajar and eyes rolling back. The common blue streamed down her face.  
Vriska gasped for air jolting out of the slime in a fearful panic. She clawed at her chest feeling for her pulse, relief at realization it was still there. She brushed her hair off her forehead feeling for a blade, again, relief at realization it wasn't there. She pants some still trying to gain her breath in her lungs once more, hands going to the edge of the coon gripping it. She slowly rose from the slime and walked over to the door, grasping the knob with a shaky hand. She opened the door, happy to see nothing but a silent still darkness greeting her. She mouthed the words, ‘Thank You’ under her breath.  
Other bad things had happened aboard Mindfang’s, having knives thrown at her as a game was one of them. Luckily, Mindfang only made them graze the skin leaving little cuts, none of them actually ever pierced through her body. The evil woman mainly got her amusement from watching the fear in Vriska’s eyes and seeing her squirm. Vriska was just glad that was finally over, that wouldn’t ever happen again, hopefully.  
The days passed, and Vriska’s hive was feeling like home once more. Word of what had happened on Mindfang’s ship had spread, which upset Vriska some, but at least on the bright side the others were wary of her feelings and kept an eye out for that woman or her ship. She had released the thousands of baby spiders out into the woods, only keeping the one blue one in the tank on her desk. Her eye was slowly returning to normal, half of it was still filled with blue blood though. The days seemed so slow and agonizing, all Vriska wanted was for Dualscar to come back.   
One day there was a ship spotted on the horizon, slowly approaching the land. Vriska’s colleagues had grown concerned that it was Mindfang coming to attack, so Karkat went and alerted her of the ship’s presence. A wide smile crossed Vriska’s face though and she quickly looked at the date on a calendar, it had been a month since she was returned home. She quickly put on her dirty red converse and ran out the door towards the docks where her other friends had gathered, some were baring weapons. A wooden draw bridge dropped down onto the dock and a man strode out dressed in violet.   
“Wvell this is quite the wvelcome,” he chuckled in a husky tone.  
“Dualscar!” Vriska squealed like a school girl running up to him.  
“Oi Lass!” He picked her up and spun her around laughing with joy.  
Cronus who had been behind the crowd, just watching, narrowed his eyes. “Those tvwo got to be fuckin’” He muttered to himself.


	25. City of Angels

Small murmurs flooded through the crowd as they watched this unusual reunion between the small girl and the much larger sea Captain. Many questioned the way the girl was hugging him, they knew for a fact that Vriska was not one for hugs, especially full on embraces that involved her being picked up. Cronus was mainly questioning what was going on sexually between the two.   
“I hope ye’vwe been doin’ wvell, Vwris…” Dualscar stated putting the smaller girl down.  
“Well enough, I guess… I mean I am back home, so that’s nice… How have you been out on the ocean?” she asked.  
“Good… Made some good hauls, but ye knowv the ship isn’t the same wvithout ye…” he chuckles softly.  
She smirks, “Well I have someone for you to meet…”  
Vriska grabs Dualscar by his cape and lead him past the crowd, who dispersed making an open path for the scarred male. She takes the captain right up to Eridan, who had felt like he shrunk when the larger sea dweller towered over him. Cronus walked up by Eridan’s side, and just stared up at the man in pure awe and admiration.   
“Dualscar, this is Eridan. He is your descendant…” she says with a light chuckle.  
“Wvowv… He’s so small…” he laughed playfully.  
“Hey, I am not small…” He pouts crossing his arms.  
“Yeah, he is my height,” Vriska remarks.  
“Yeah… and ye are small too,” he scoffed.  
“You are just too big!” she complained.  
He grows a cocky grin just giving Vriska a smug look with his eyes that just said, ‘Ye knowv I am’. She opened her mouth to say something, but just kept quiet shifting her eyes downwards in embarrassment. Dualscar let out a light laugh under his breath, and gives her a pat on her back.  
“Nowv this guy isn’t short… I see ye are an Ampora… Cronus… Right?” he asked.  
“Yeah that’s me, Chief… Hovw do you knovw my name?” Cronus replied smiling softly.  
“Wvell ye are me blood… I should at least knowv yer names… I am surprised howv old ye twvo are nowv… I havwe only seen pictures of ye wvhen ye are grubs,” he chuckled.   
“You vwere allovwed to knovw about us?” Cronus asked.  
“Wvell being so close to the Empress I get special privwileges… I wvould of liked to knowv if grubs wvere made from me…” he laughed.  
“So wwhat’s it like bein’ the Orphaner?” Eridan asked wide eyed.  
“Hard… It is hard wvork… Ye got to be strong… Let go of the fear of death, because yer life is on the line the minute ye go out to sea…” he stated. “I see ye got crosshairs kinda like mine…”  
“Y-yeah,” Eridan nervously flings his weapon off his back holding it out. “It is an exact replica I had made of your original one wwhen you first became the Orphaner…”  
Dualscar picks it up and inspects it with a raised brow. “Impressivwe… I remember me first crosshairs… Ye take good care of these,” He hands it back over to his tiny descendant.  
“So hovw long vwill you be wvisitin’?” Cronus asked.  
“About a wveek. Me men got to get supplies for the ship, plus I need to catch up vwith me little deckhand here…” He replied putting a hand on Vriska’s shoulder.  
“So you plan on stayin’ on your ship, or at an inn?” the middle Ampora questioned.  
“Actually I am probably gonna stay at Vwriska’s hivwe wvith her,” he stated.  
Cronus raised an eyebrow, his suspicions growing. “Oh is that so?”  
“Yes. Wvell it wvas nice meetin’ ye twvo, maybe ye can stop around for dinner… For nowv I need to talk wvith Vwris… Make sure her head is in the right place,” he teased messing her hair up.  
“Hey my hair!” she whines.  
“Oh hush… It wvas already messy…” he chuckled.  
As Vriska and Dualscar strolled back to her hive, the crowd regrouped looking at Eridan and Cronus in shock. They didn’t know whether to be amazed or slightly fearful of the larger troll, most of them haven’t even seen a troll that big or old. Cronus’ eyes darted to Eridan, anxious to share his assumption with his littler dancestor.  
“WOW VRISKA WASN’T JOKING…” Karkat stated.  
“i FEEL SLIGHTLY TERRIFIED…” Tavros muttered.  
“)(e was dreamy…” Feferi twittered.  
“FF, come on. He ii2 ju2t another fii2h diick,” Sollux grumbled.  
“He seemed much more respectful and mature than some sea dwellers. He was a magnificent highb100d,” Equius replied sweating some.  
“... DON’T B3 CR33PY…” Terezi muttered stepping away from Equius.  
“Well, I Have To Admit Dualscar Does Have Some Admirable Qualities,” Kanaya giggled.  
“I can agree to that,” Aradia replied.  
“Guys, I figured out somethin’,” Cronus states.  
“W)(at is it?” Feferi asked.  
“Okay so…. Wvriska… and Dualscar…. are fuckin’!” he yelled.  
“WWHAT?!” Eridan yelled.  
“Woa)(... Lucky,” Feferi mutters.  
“LANGUAGE!” Equius yelled covering Nepeta’s ears.  
“:33 I know what that means, Sweatquius” Nepeta muttered.  
“What how? Who told you?” He gasps.  
“:33 I am eleven sw33ps…” she grumbled.  
“OKAY… OKAY… AND WHERE IS THIS RIDICULOUS FUCKING ASSUMPTION COMING FROM?” Karkat shouted.  
“Yeah… Vvris isn’t sleepin’ wwith Dual... She can’t be… She wwouldn’t do that…” Eridan murmurs.  
“That explains vwhy she broke up your black… She already had an Ampora…” Cronus reasoned.  
“That’s bullshit...She broke up wwith me because of Fang!” Eridan shouted.  
“OKAY AGAIN! WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM?” Karkat asked.  
“Did you see they vway they hugged? And he is stayin’ vwith her… Spendin’ the night vwith her? Sleepin’ vwith her?”   
“TH3 HUG W4S W31RD…” Terezi stated.  
“It wwas a hug… Doesn’t mean she is sleepin’ wwith him…” he huffed.  
“I vwould keep an eye out because it is happenin,” Cronus scoffed.  
“You wwish, pervv,” Eridan muttered.  
Dualscar smiled looking around Vriska’s hive as he stepped through the threshold of the door. “Nice place. I can’t remember the last time I wvas actually in an actual hivwe.”  
“Yeah, I have been cleaning it up lately because when I got home it was a disaster,” she chuckled.   
“I figured…” He says before holding her cheeks. “Wvhat happened to yer eye?!” he gasped.  
“Oh I popped a blood vessel. It is no biggy…” She muttered.  
“Wvell that’s no good… I can’t havwe yer pretty eyes gettin’ messed up,” he huffed pinching her cheeks.  
“Hey… Stop…” she grumbled blushing some.  
“Still… Yer eyes are too beautiful to get messed up,” he stated leaning in, flipping her glasses up and kissing the eyelid to her hurt eye.  
She blushed darker mumbling, “Hush.”  
“Ye are so precious wvhen ye blush,” he chuckled.  
“Stop treating me like a wriggler,” she whines.   
“I am not treatin’ ye like a wvriggler… I am just bein’ affectionate,” he says rubbing his cheek against hers.  
“Ah Dualscar… Your face is all scruffy… It tickles… Stop,” she laughed loudly.  
He smothered her face with kisses, nuzzling his face against hers. “Ye knowv ye havwe missed it. Besides I havwen’t had yer lovwely hands to shavwe me wvhiskers.”  
“Well come sit down in the kitchen and I can take care of that,” she giggles.  
“Wvell gimme a kiss first. I havwe been so lonely… I missed ye…” he groans playfully.  
“Man up… You are the big bad Orphaner,” she teased.  
“A man can still miss his little matesprit… It has felt like forevwer… I missed talkin’ to ye and spendin’ time wvith ye,” he replied kissing her wounded eye again.  
She smiled softly pulling her glasses back down, and putting a hand on his cheek, her thumb petting at his facial hair. “I missed you too,” she says gently.  
“Then gimme a kiss,” he laughed pulling her close flapping his fins, knowing that would make her smile.  
She laughed softly, “Oh alright… Just because I love you.”  
Vriska leans in wrapping her small arms up around the larger sea dweller’s neck. He smiled softly running a hand up through that beautiful silky black hair that he had longed to touch once more. She leaned in pressing her lips against his, her eyes falling shut as she pulled the man closer to her. He eagerly kissed her back, having the need to have the smaller girl back in his life and with him. The front door slammed open, interrupting the two and causing Vriska to jump in surprise. She looked to see who it was, relieved to see that is was just the chef, and not one of her other colleagues.  
“Vrissy! Ya think it is okay to just run off with Captain, without giving me a hug or sayin’ hi for that matter,” the chef shouted picking Vriska up over his shoulder.  
“Dualscar was just eager to get his jollies off, Chef…” The first mate stated walking in. “But I am also upset that Vriska didn’t even say hello to me…”  
“Hello you two…” Vriska gasped as she was squeezed by the big chef.  
“Hey, that is enough. Put her down,” Dualscar chuckled patting the chef’s arm.  
“Well I thought my little Vrissy forgot about me,” Chef murmurs setting her down.   
As Vriska was lowered she lets out a small sigh chuckling lightly to herself, “How could I forget you? Especially how every time I see you, you squeeze the life out of me.”  
“So have ye been takin’ care of yerself… Ye are still skin and bones so that obviously answers my question… I need to put meat on yer bones. A real woman has fat on her,” Chef boasts.  
“Okay, maybe you could cook me one of those delicious meals I love,” she teased.  
“I will start now!” he laughed running to her kitchen.   
“Wait Chef …” she called out, but he had already left the room. “Damn it…”   
“So did you really miss us?” The first mate asked.  
“Yeah… How couldn’t I miss the crew of crazy inappropriate men? Just my kind of people,” she chuckled.   
“Good because they are all going to cram themselves in here for dinner,” he stated with a smirk.  
“Wait… You are joking right?” She asked.  
The first mate just gave a wide grin and just walked off into the kitchen with the chef. Dualscar laughed lightly shaking his head, patting Vriska on the back to calm her down. Vriska takes Dualscar’s hand and leads him to the kitchen, so she could shave his face. She gets a large bowl full of warm water and a soft wash cloth to dampen up his face and neck. She then retrieves some conditioner and a straight blade razor setting them down. She runs conditioner through his facial hair humming softly to herself; Dualscar was relaxing in the chair his fins fluttering in pleasure. The room was soon filled with the smell of whatever chef was cooking on the stove, and the room was quiet for the most part, it was peaceful. The peace was short lived though because Eridan and Cronus busted through the front, and came into the kitchen.  
“Um… Can I help you?” Vriska groaned.  
“See I told you!” Eridan yelled at Cronus.  
“Told him what?” she asked confused.  
“Cronus said you wwere probably blowwin’ Dualscar or somethin’ right noww,” Eridan yelled.  
“This means nothin’ they could be bonin’ later,” Cronus scoffed.  
Vriska and Dualscar just looked at each other awkwardly going quiet, unsure what to say. The first mate and the Chef just snorted in amusement at this, watching the expression of their Captain. Eridan narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms inspecting the two.  
“Wwhy are you shavvin’ his face?” Eridan asked with a sneer.  
“Because… Dualscar wanted me to do it. His big meaty hands are no good with holding such a small blade,” she replied. “I mean look at his fucking hand,” she scoffs picking it up. “The dumbass would probably cut himself open,” she laughs playfully trying to pull it off like Dualscar was just a friend.  
“It is surprisin’ to see you holdin’ a blade to anyone’s face wwihtout tryin’ to kill them,” Eridan scoffed.  
“Wow... That was rude,” Vriska hissed going back and shaving Dualscar’s face.  
“Sorry that wwas the black emotions comin’ out,” he chortled scratching his head.  
“Wvait… Me little descendant is yer kismesis,” Dualscar asked looking up at Vriska.  
“Former kismesis. We are just friends now,” she stated.  
“Yeah, after the wwhole Fang thing, Vvris thought it wwould be best if wwe ended it… You see our relationship wwas based off of wwhat you and Fang had… Wwe had cosplay outfits and evverythin’,” Eridan chuckles.  
The first mate tried to hold his laughter back at this awkward conversation and tension it caused. Vriska felt like she was dying slowly and painfully inside, she just wanted to leave this planet. Dualscar was just glaring at Vriska, a bit annoyed that she hadn’t told him the crucial piece of information.   
“I see… Vwriska, ye should of told me ye wvere black wvith me little descendant,” he chuckled menacingly.   
“...Yeah…” she muttered shaving his face.  
“So… back to the issue at hand. So are you tvwo fuckin’?” Cronus asked.  
“Um no…” Vriska mumbled.  
“You sure about that, Wvriska?” he questioned.  
“Yeah, Vwriska. Ye sure?” Dualscar teased in a mocking manner.  
“Positive,” she replied. “Now get out of my hive. I will see you two for dinner, okay?”   
“Okay Vvris, later,” Eridan stated walking off with Cronus.  
“So… that wvas interestin’... Wvasn’t it Vwris?” Dualscar chuckles with a twisted grin.  
“Yep…” she muttered shaving his chin.  
“So… That wvas yer former black mate?” he asked.  
“...Yep…”  
“Me little descendant wvas yer kismesis?” he muttered.   
“This is fucking awkward as fuck,” The first mate laughed.  
“It is like a soap opera…Secrets uncovered… She was sleepin’ with the Captain's descendant…. Is this the end of DualVris?” The chef chuckled.  
“DualVwris?” Dualscar asked raising his eyebrow.  
“It is the shippin’ name the crew gave ye two…” he laughed.  
He growls shaking his head before turning his attention back to Vriska. “So ye and him wvould dress up like Fang and I and… fuck?”  
“... We would flarp…” She mutters.  
“Wvhat the fuck is flarp?” he asked squeezing the bridge of his nose.  
“It is fatal live action roleplaying… It is actually really fun… Honestly I think you would like it… You get to nearly kill your friends in the process and most of the time they won’t be pissed as long as you are in character or role…” she boasts.  
“So ye are a dork,” he muttered.  
She growls finishing up his face. “There all done. It is good to know you got a problem with who I am… Didn’t know it was such a big deal…”  
“It’s my fuckin’ descendant! Ye could have told me!” he yelled standing up.  
“Wow Captain, you jealous?” the first mate laughed.  
“Ye shut the fuck up!” he yelled.  
Vriska growls, “Well I am so sorry. Glad to see how you are when the big bad Orphaner doesn’t know everything.”  
She throws the blade down, it sticking into the wood of the table. The girl storms off to her room slamming the door shut in anger, her eyes growing watery. Dualscar’s fins droop down and he sighs sadly realizing how harsh he was with her. He is always so use to barking orders and knowing everything, he forgets he has to be delicate with her. He goes up the stairs following the sounds of crying, his heart hurting as he got closer to the noise. He walks up to her door and slowly opens it, so he could peek in only seeing her sobbing into a pillow on a bed. Knowing Dualscar preferred a bed over a coon, Vriska took a pailing stand and made it into a bed for him, using only the finest pillows and blankets to cover it. He sighs walking in and sitting on the bed slowly pulling Vriska into his lap, holding her close.  
“Vvris… I am sorry… but can ye at least understand wvhy it upset me so much… It is somethin’ I wvould of liked to havwe knowvn,” he sighs.  
“I know… but when I spent more time with you and began to like you in a red manner I kind of forgot about what I had with him… I only remembered about it when I got back and he started flirting with me… I broke it off with him because I am loyal to you, and our relationship was based off of Mindfang’s journal and I don’t want that in my life anymore… I am sorry I didn’t tell you, but it was kind of embarrassing…” she sighs wiping her tears.  
“...Are ye embarrassed by me?” he asked.  
“No, of course not,” she replied.   
“Wvhy didn’t ye tell him about us then?” he sighs.  
“Because Eridan gets really jealous… guess he gets it from you,” she teased. “But if he knew he would be freaking out that I am with you, not him, and I am with his own ancestor. He would then harass you trying to run you off to get me back… and I didn’t want that for either of you. Eridan looks up to you… and I didn’t want him to get pissed off with you because you stole his girl or whatever… I didn’t want you to become his Mindfang…” she says looking down.  
“He’s got to knowv sometime…” he replied.  
“Now isn’t that time…” she whimpers.  
“Okay… but wve need to tell him together… This invwolvwes me too… and I wvant to support ye… maybe it wvould soften the blowv for him,” he replied taking her hand.  
“...Okay…” she sighs giving his hand a squeeze.  
“Sorry I made fun of yer flarpin’ thing, but ye havwe to admit… It is kinda dorky,” he chuckles.  
“Whatever,” she pouts.  
He grins nuzzling his face against her cheek. “Ye are me little dork though…”  
“Dualscar stop~” she giggles whining some.  
“Ye knowv I lovwe ye to death, evwen if I get mad I still lovwe ye… Ye make me ship float and put wind in me sails… Ye are the lovwe of me life and me wvhole wvorld… I missed ye so much… I longed for yer touch and company… I missed cuddlin’ ye…” he purrs smothering her.  
“D-Dualscar… your armor is crushing me,” she gasps.  
“S-sorry…” he chuckles.  
Dualscar sits up undoing his cape and armor just leaving him in his long sleeve black top. He then grins grabbing Vriska and pulling her down against her bed next to him, his arms compressing her to him. She giggles putting her hands on his cheeks pressing her forehead to his.   
“I love you too, Dualscar… You remind me of what’s good in the world…” she giggles kissing him.   
“It has been too long…” he whispered.  
“I know… I wish you could stay,” she kisses him.  
“Me too… but I got good newvs…” he chuckles kissing her cheek.  
“Oh what is it?” she asked with a small smile.  
The sea dweller sits up some and pulled off his shirt showing off his tattoos on his arms. The once cocky Mindfang mermaid was now a gentler coy Vriska mermaid with glasses. She giggles tracing her fingers along the hair of the tattoo mermaid.  
“I love it…” she says smiling wide.  
“Good. I knewv ye wvould! I also got this done…” He says showing her the back of his neck. The little spade he had, with Mindfang’s symbol in it, was now a little heart. “It used to be a spade, but nowv things are different.”  
She giggles, “Dualscar, I love it. None of my matesprits ever tattooed anything about me on them… Then again I have never had a matesprit.”  
He smiled kissing her chin, “Wvell, ye havwe me nowv.”  
The two cuddle and kiss enjoying the warmth and comfort they found in the arms of each other. After a bit there was a knock on her bedroom door causing Vriska to sit up slightly, from under Dualscar, with a huff. Her hair was all messy and her shirt was pulled up over her chest. Dualscar was still kissing at her neck, his hands on her back trying to unhook her bra. There was another knock on her door causing her to groan.  
“Who is it?” Vriska asked.  
“Me…” The first mate says.  
“Go awvay… Wve are busy…” Dualscar growled still kissing at her neck.  
“You got visitors, Vriska…”  
“Is it Eridan?” she sighs.  
“No, it is some group of trolls, one of them is licking some short grumpy troll and another is talking in third person cat puns, and one keeps saying glub… That’s just a few of them…” he replied.  
Vriska groans getting up out of bed, pulling down her shirt and fixing her hair some. She opens the door looking at the first mate slightly irritated. Dualscar sits up from the bed pouting in annoyance.   
“Hey, don’t get pissed with me…” he chuckles.  
“Tell them I will be down in a minute…” she sighed.  
The first mate walked off alerting the group at the front door that Vriska was coming down. She had to go to the bathroom first and look in the mirror to see if there were any marks she had to cover and to fix her lipstick that was slightly smeared. She marched down stairs grumbling to herself as she went to go greet her group of bombastic allies.  
“:33 Vriskers!” Nepeta mewed.  
“Hello, can I help you guys?” she asked.  
“WH3R3 1S DUALSC4R?” Terezi asked.  
“Sleeping. He is tired from his voyage,” she lied.  
“Aw w)(ale we wanted to talk to )(im. It is amazing to )(ave suc)( an incredible troll around. W)(at is )(e like?” Feferi asked.  
“... I don’t know how to describe him. He is a good man. Strong. Brave. Noble…” she shrugs.  
“Noble…?” Equius says sweating.  
“Um… Yeah…” she muttered.   
“WHY CAN’T YOU JUST WAKE HIM UP?” Karkat huffed.  
“Because he wouldn’t want to answer your stupid questions right now… He is tired and needs his sleep,” she scoffed.  
“:33 Then when can we talk to Dualscatch? AC has many questions to ask the fishy,” the cat girl asks.  
Vriska sighs, “Come by for dinner. Everyone will be here.”  
“Really all of u2?” Sollux asked.  
“Yes it will be a party,” she scoffed.  
“Are You Alright?” Kanaya asked.  
“Tired… Just had to put up with Eridan freaking out because he thought I am with Dualscar,” she sighs.  
“Y34H CRONUS W4S R4NT1NG 4BOUT 1T 34RL13R…”  
“I KNEW IT WAS BULLSHIT,” Karkat scoffed.  
“Yeah… So I will see you guys tonight okay?”  
“W)(o was that guy w)(o answered t)(e door?”  
“Dualscar’s first mate… You can talk with all his crew later… They will be here,” Vriska muttered.  
“Okay well we wiill 2ee you later then…” Sollux stated as the group started to leave.  
Vriska was relieved when the group left and went back to her seafarer matesprit. She was happy to be in his large muscular arms once more and kisses at his fins and gills. He smiled taking her hands in his and nuzzles her face gently with his. It was funny how the ancestor of his hate could make him feel so young and happy, he would never be so soft and playful with anyone else. The sun soon set and the doorbell rang with the sound of people talking outside. Vriska sits up from the bed, a sheet wrapped around her and looks down at Dualscar. He smirks sitting up and kisses her deeply a hand trailing up through her hair.  
“I guess it is showv time,” he chuckles.   
Vriska nods slightly nervous, “I wonder how my old friends will react to my new friends.”   
“Wvell the crewv lovwes ye, and yer friends should too. If there are any issues wve wvill just make the trouble makers leavwe,” he replied getting up.  
“Yeah… I just hope they get along,” she sighs.  
“They should. I wvarned the crewv that if they do anythin’ stupid they wvon’t be allowved to come back on me ship,” he stated putting on his pin striped pants.  
“It isn’t the crew I am worried about,” she sighed.  
“Ye perhaps havwe a men’s shirt I can wvear?… The one I wvear under me armor kind of smells like swveat… I wvould rather not wvear it…”   
“I actually packed one of your tunics by accident…” she says getting out of the bed. She walks over to her dresser and pulled out the tunic, holding it up for him.   
He chuckles taking it with a smile. “I put it in yer bag…”  
“What? Why?” she asks.  
“Because I wvanted ye to remember me…” he says softly.  
“How could I ever forget you?” she replied smiling.


	26. Time to Kill

Vriska’s hive was bustling with the sounds and movements of many other trolls. The crew just went straight to drinking and playing games while her friends just watched, some amused, some scared. Vriska sat on the top step of the stairs watching the madness unfold before her, she didn’t think she had to step in though, they were capable of taking care of themselves. Dualscar walks up and sits down beside her, looking over at her with a gentle expression.  
“Ye are missin’ out…” he stated.  
“On what?” she asked.  
“All the fun…” he replied.  
“I am okay,” she sighs.  
“No ye aren’t. Wvhat’s wvrong?” he asked.  
“Where do I belong?” she muttered.  
“Wvith us of course!” he chuckles.  
“Who is us? The crew?”   
“No… Wvith all of us,” he says gesturing his arm out to the entire crowd.  
“I don’t feel like I belong with anyone,” she mumbled.  
“Oh hush and quit throwvin’ yerself a pity party wvhen there is a real party right there for ye… Yer friends seem nervwous… Be the mediator and make both groups havwe fun wvith each other… Vwriska these people are here because they care about ye and they are yer friends… Wve all wvant ye to havwe fun… Quit puttin’ yerself dowvn and come havwe fun…” he states.  
“You sure?” she grumbled.   
“Evwerythin’ wvill be alright…” he replied with a smile.  
“Fine…” she groans as he pulled her down stairs.  
When the men see Vriska they start cheering and pick her up carrying her around in praise. Cronus just sits on the couch laughing at this, but he quickly goes silent and gives a coy smile when Dualscar walks by. He makes the men set Vriska down, and give her some space so she adjust to the many people around her. The Chef comes over and gives her a plate of ribs and potatoes along with a mug of what he called ‘The Good Brew’. She gives a nod to him as a thank you and goes into the kitchen to sit down and eat, she was soon joined by Eridan with a plate of his own.   
“So… is this food any good?” he asked looking at her.  
“It tastes great,” she chuckled digging in.  
“You sure,” he asks poking it with a fork.  
“Yes… Just because it is made by a sailor doesn’t mean it will taste bad. Chef is amazing with his cooking,” she says smiling softly with rib sauce on her chin.  
He chuckles wiping it off of her with his napkin. “Okay wwhatevver you say.” He looks down at his mug. “Is this alcohol?”  
She nods taking a boorish sip from her mug. “Yeah the best kind.”  
“Can I havve some juice? Or wwater?” he mutters.  
A nearby crew member, who was sitting up on the kitchen’s bar, heard Eridan’s request and started laughing out loudly. “Juice! Juice! He wants juice. Drink yer beer, boy,” he laughed.  
“Shut the hell up!” Vriska shouts.  
“What? I ain’t doing nothin’ wrong…” he chuckles.  
“You are an eye sore and your voice causes deafness,” she teased.  
“Oi, that’s hurtful,” he laughs falling off the bar with a thud. “Fackin’ shit… Damn it…”  
“Yer fuckin’ drunk already arse wipe,” Chef laughed bringing Eridan some juice.  
“Um Thanks…” Eridan whispered drinking his juice.  
“This is juice boy’s fault,” the crew member groaned stumbling to his feet.  
“Oh shut up, that is The Orphaner’s descendant. Want him kicking your ass?” Vriska chuckled.  
“He’s too busy being bombarded by questions from yer little friends…” he scoffed picking up his mug and drinking.  
“Wait what?” she asked.  
Meanwhile in the main room, Vriska’s colleagues were swarmed around Dualscar, who was sitting on his couch just trying to eat dinner. The poor older man was frankly overwhelmed by all the little youngsters around him. He hadn’t been around so many young people in one setting.  
“4R3 YOU 4 P1R4T3?”  
“No… Not exactly…”  
“YOU 4R3 4 P1R4T3!”   
“Um… No… I am not.”  
“HOW COM3 TH4T GUY H4S 4N 3Y3P4TCH TH3N 1F YOU 4R3N’T 4 P1R4T3!?” Terezi yells pointing at a very disturbed crew member.  
“Because he- … Wvait... I thought ye were blind… Howv could ye see his eye patch?” he muttered.  
“1 T4ST3D 1T!”   
Dualscar looks over at his crewmate with the eye patch who was wiping saliva off his face. “… Ye wvhat?... Ye licked his face… but… ugh… Ye don’t knowv wvhere his face has been… That… that is gross.”  
“SHE LICKS EVERYTHING,” Karkat muttered.  
“Wvhat… Evwerythin’?”  
“WHY DO3S H3 H4V3 4N 3Y3 P4TCH 1F TH1S 1SN’T 4 P1R4T3 CR3W?!”  
“…Ye knowv people don’t havwe to be pirates to get eye patches…” he responded.  
“)(ow big are your muscles? Can I feel them?” Feferi giggles feeling Dualscar’s biceps.  
“Um…”  
“VR1SK4 S41D YOU W3R3 4 P1R4T3!”   
“COD DAMN IT I AM NOT A PIRATE!” He shouts.  
“WHY WOULD SH3 L13?!”   
“Because I used the term pirate wvith her,” he grunts squeezing the bridge of his nose.  
“uHHH,,, mR. dUALSCAR?” Tavros mumbled raising his hand.  
“Uh… I ain’t yer teacher… Don’t got to raise yer hand… but I respect not just SHOUTIN’ questions in me ear…” he growls.  
“uMMM,,, aRE YOU SLEEPING WITH vRISKA?”  
“Cod damn it… This again?”   
Feferi giggles poking his fins, which caused him to turn to her with a huff. “Wvhat are ye doin’?” he asked as politely as he could since he could see this was the Empress’ kin, but it was apparent he was annoyed.  
“Your fins are big,” she giggles.  
“Yes. I knowv that. It happens wvhen ye get a little older,” he huffs.  
“WHY 4REN’T YOU 4 P1R4T3!?”  
“Wvhat are ye on?!” he shouts.  
A bottle of faygo gets shoved in his face. “ChIlL oUt BrO. sLaM a FaYgO… iT iS a MoThEr FuCkInG mIrAcLe ElIxEr…”  
“Wvhat the fu- Of course it is the descendant of that ovwersized clowvn….” He groans.  
“dRiNk It..”  
Dualscar swipes the faygo with a huff and hands Gamzee a bottle of beer. “Here… Drink this,” he snarled.  
“WhAt Is It?”  
“…. Miracles…” he scoffed.  
“AwWw YeAh MoThEr FuCkEr,” Gamzee cheers.  
“Wvhat did ye just call me?” he asked offended by being called a ‘Mother Fucker’.  
“:33 AC senses the fish pirate’s annoyance,” Nepeta purrs crawling on the couch.  
“Wvho the hell is this?!”  
“Is it true that you are… Noble?” Equius asked sweating.  
“Uhhh are ye okay?... Are ye hot or somethin’? That is a lot of swveat…”  
“Yes, Highb100d,” he replied sweating more.  
“Ummmm okayyyyy…”  
“WHAT 1S 1T L1K3 B31NG 4 P1R4T3?”   
“Cod damn… How old are ye?”  
“T4ST3 TH3 P1R4T3…” Terezi mutters licking his cheek.  
“Gah! No wvonder Vwriska left home! Can I talk to someone wvho isn’t huffin’ somethin’?!” he shouts.  
“Did you know Vriska killed me?” Aradia asked.  
“Um… she mentioned somethin’ about it….”  
Feferi giggles poking his face, causing him to put his head in his hands. “Wvhere the hell is Vwriska?!” he groans.  
Vriska and Eridan were discussing her adventures out on the seas once again. He was curious to know what the crew that she had been living with was like. He was also just trying to make sure they didn’t constantly hit on her or anything like that.  
“So, you lived wwith these …. Ruffians for months?” Eridan whispered.  
“They aren’t all that bad,” she says with lusii meat in her mouth.  
“They are rowwdy and all ovver the place,” he chuckles.  
“They are good guys though…” she swallows the food in her mouth. “Sure, they are rowdy, and they can be a bit ‘not wriggler friendly’, but they are kind to me. They just like having fun and drinking, they never once tried to hurt me… They actually tried to protect me often… They are a lot better than some people I know…” she says sipping her drink.  
Dualscar marches in with a huff, “Wvhat is wvrong wvith yer friends?” He grabs a bottle of heavy liquor and starts drinking.  
“Oh no… Hold on I will talk to them,” she sighs getting up.  
Vriska gets up and walks into the main room, Eridan following close behind. “Can you guys not pester Dualscar?”   
“W3 W3R3N’T P3ST3R1NG H1M…” Terezi giggles.  
“Terezi You Licked Him…” Kanaya stated softly.  
“You what? Don’t lick Dualscar!” Vriska shouts.  
“I bet you lick Dualscar,” Cronus snickered.  
“I heard that,” she hissed.  
“I didn’t say anythin’” he chuckles.   
“Okay… Please don’t be… Yourselves to Dualscar. Last thing he needs is you guys licking, sweating, and shouting at him… He isn’t immature like you guys,” she huffed.  
“Rude,” Aradia mutters.  
“I am sorry, but still…” she sighs. “If you have any questions about him ask me, okay?”  
“)(ow old is )(e?” she asked.  
“I… uh… don’t know…” she mutters, she had never thought about his age.  
“How Did He Get The Scars On His Face?” Kanaya asked.  
“… I actually don’t know. I never wanted to bother him with the question,” Vriska replied.  
“Want to know about his scars?” The first mate asked walking up.  
“You know what happened?” the Serket asked.  
“Know? I was there,” He chuckles. “How about we have a story time?”  
The first mate pulls up a chair and has a seat in front of the rambunctious crowd. Vriska and Eridan have a seat in front of the couch and look up at the first mate intrigued. The couch group got quiet and listened eagerly to hear the story about how the Orphaner got his scars. Vriska had an odd twinkle in her eyes as she sipped on her mug, as the story began.  
Many sweeps ago when Dualscar was just a young unmarked lad, who even wore glasses, he was assigned the role of The Orphaner. After sweeps of training his marksmanship, leadership, and fighting skills the Empress finally gave him a fleet and his crosshairs. He was only seven sweeps old when he was captaining his first ship and setting out on his first real hunt. He had a talent for killing living things, and he took that to his advantage when it came to his work. Sweeps go by as he claimed the seas as his own and became the most feared man ever known. He was proud, cocky, and never backed down from a fight, he left all his foes beaten, bloody, or dead.  
When The Orphaner was ten sweeps he got word of a remote island full of monstrous lusii, nicknamed ‘The Beast’s Belly’. He scoffed at the thought of this island, it wasn’t nothing he couldn’t handle, and honestly he was eager to conquer this island. If the island was as thriving with lusii as the stories he had heard, he could easily feed Gl’bgolyb for weeks, maybe months. When his ship hit the beach of the island all that could be seen was a rustling jungle and even a few small lusii squirming on the beach. The Orphaner jumped off the ship and crushed a small lusii with his boot, burgundy blood splattering on the sand. Growls, roars, and shrieks could be heard from the jungle, and The Orphaner howled out like a mad man calling back out at the jungle.  
“Hear that men! That is the sound of a decent payroll!” He yells.  
The first day on the island was a piece of cake, the lusii were so measly and weak, and he was frankly bored. He had a group of men help pick up whatever he killed, and drag it out to sea while he continued his conquest. When night fell they made camp out on a ridge and dined on the meat from some sort of boa lusus. Some of tents were scattered about away from the main group, for those men were just tired and just wanted to sleep.   
Morning was a different story, and The Orphaner had a new attitude with a fueled fire in his heart. Several of the tents, which strayed off, were torn to shreds and splattered in the blood of his men. Trails of the colors trailed into the woods, and some body parts were even left behind. Nearly half of his crew was gone, and he didn’t even hear a single scream last night, none of the survivors did.   
“Howv the fuck did this happen?!” he screamed grabbing his crosshairs.   
He marched off into the jungle, his men following him as he followed the blood trails. Mangled corpses of his men were found in a pile being picked at by crows and scavenger lusii. The weird thing was that none of the men had been eaten, only killed and collected. The Orphaner didn’t like this at all, this was bizarre, did the lusus only kill them out of revenge? No, that was ridiculous, lusii aren’t that smart. The man became fixated on hunting down the beast that had did this to him, and his crew.   
A week goes by and the remaining crew was picked off one by one, The Orphaner was eventually left with four men, one being the first mate. The Captain had a permanent scowl plastered across his face for the beast had avoided all his attacks and traps. Finally he got a strike at the beast, which turned out to be an enormous bear lusii, while it was sleeping. He had shot off part of the monster’s hindquarters with his crosshairs, causing the creature to give the most bone chilling cry as it ran off into the woods. The Orphaner didn’t like that sound, it made his heart stop some and his bones shake under his skin.  
The sun was beginning to set as they followed the lusus’ indigo blood trail further into the jungle. The four men that now made up his crew demanded to make camp, for it was dark and they were exhausted. The now crazed Orphaner left them to make camp and continued his hunt alone, he didn’t need his men, they only held him down. The first mate sighed at what had become of his Captain and started up a large fire to ward of any other creatures. After a few hours there was a loud scream, not the scream of a creature, but the scream of a man, the scream of The Orphaner. The first mate assumed his beloved Captain perished and he quickly urged the remaining men to hurry back to the ship. As he ran he saw a shimmer of something metal glinting in the moonlight, he quickly picked it up to see it was the bloody pair of the Captain’s glasses.  
The men ran for their lives for they could hear the beast behind them, chasing them down. The men got turned around though, they didn’t know where the beach was and how to get to the ship, and were left running for hours. No matter where they went there were growls and footsteps behind them. Finally, it was dawn and the men couldn’t see their surroundings, instead they were tripping and stumbling around in the dark. The first mate could see the familiar path to the beach and cried out in joy running forward, before his foot crashed down into something. He falls down seeing the other men run off past him, unaware that he had fallen. He looks down to see what his foot crashed through, seeing his boot was stuck through the chest of the bloody skeletal remains of one of his close friends. He hyperventilates focusing on trying to kick it off before his heart stopped seeing the bear monster growling in his face. He pants trying to scream out, before shutting his eyes tightly and praying for a peaceful afterlife. He could feel the beast’s bloody drool splattering on him as it growled before the creature screamed out again calling to death.  
“Fuck you…” Dualscar growls.  
The first mate looks over to see his mangled captain shooting at the beast with fury. The man’s face was sliced up, his flesh dangled from the exposed meat of two diagonal gashes and blood was streaming down his face. One of his fins was dangling off the side of his head, almost falling off if it weren’t for some flesh keeping it to his meat. His clothes were torn up, shredded, and splattered in his own blood. The first mate managed to get the corpse off his foot and he stood up watching his Captain fight the monster.  
The beast charged at Dualscar tackling him to the ground, and going to bite the man’s head off with its massive jaws. The first mate watch holding his breath in fear worried his Captain would be guillotined before him. Dualscar growls moving his head at the last moment and thrusting his lightning shaped bolt horns into the jugular of the beast. Indigo blood showered down on him as he dug his claws into the white fur of the beast and into its chest cavity. He wrapped his hands around the rapidly pulsating heart and ripped it out. The beast collapsed on him and let out its last gasp of death.   
Dualscar stood up from under the beast and stood victorious, shrouded in the indigo and violet. He darted a glance at his first mate, he was a new man baptized in the blood of the beast who maimed him. He walked up to the shaken first mate and put a hand on his shoulder.  
“Gimme yer blade,” Dualscar said in a raspy voice.  
The first mate quickly handed over the blade watching as his Captain took it and went over to the dead lusus. He began to skin the creature taking its lovely white pelt, and tossing it over at the first mate, who nervously caught it. Dualscar claimed the creature’s skin as his, and the meat would go to Gl’bgolyb. The Captain rounded up his remaining crew, who was shocked to see him alive, and had them help him take the corpse to the sea. The first mate nervously went up to Dualscar, who was watching the skinned creature get thrown in the water, and handed him his glasses.  
“I found these…” The first mate muttered.  
“I don’t need them anymore. Put them in me desk,” he stated crossing his arms, he had yet to clean up his face.  
The few men headed back to the Empress’ palace, where the crew men were treated for their wounds and allowed to rest. Dualscar needed more rest than the others, so while he was healing the crew went around rounding up more men to work on Dualscar’s ship. The pelt was hung up to dry and turned into a rug for his quarters. After his face had healed up the nickname ‘Dualscar’ was given to him by the Empress as a joke, because he was now stuck with two jagged scars across his face.  
“Wait, so )(is first crew was killed by a bear lusus?” Feferi asked the first mate.  
“Yeah, pretty much. It was only four men left after that hunt,” the first mate replied.  
“Wait… Does he like being called Dualscar then?” Vriska asked worried that he has been upsetting him by calling him that.  
“Yeah he boasts about it now,” the first mate chuckles.  
Dualscar walks back in chuckling out of drunkenness as he comes and makes himself a spot on the couch. “Wvhat’s goin’ on here?” he chuckles.  
“Just telling the story of how you became Dualscar,” The first mate replied.  
“Damn and I missed it? Sorry I had to get drunk so I can take more questions,” he teased.  
“SO 1F YOU 4R3N’T 4 P1R4TE WH4T 4RE YOU?” Terezi asked.  
“I am more of a privwateer than anythin’. I hunt lusii and sometimes people,” he replied.  
“What Happens To The Grubs Left Alone? I Mean If You Don’t Mind Me Asking,” Kanaya states.  
“Wvell, I knowv other Orphaners wvould eat them, turn them into sauce, but the wvhole cannibalism thing wvasn’t somethin’ I liked so at first I just let fate take care of it, but after I wvas maimed I rounded up the orphaned and tried to ship them off to a place wvhere they could be cared for until they grewv into their troll bodies, but unfortunately the wvoman wvho wvould take care of them is… is gone. Nowv I just try to hunt the feral or non-custodial lusii, so I don’t end up screwvin’ ovwer some poor grub. Sure, I am the Orphaner, but doesn’t mean I can’t feel sympathetic for the younglings,” he sighs.  
“That Is Awful, But I Suppose You Aren’t A Bad Guy,” Kanaya replied.  
“Does t)(e Empress give you special privileges for doin’ suc)( a risky job for )(er?” Feferi asked.  
“Yeah got me owvn room in the palace and evwerythin’,” he chuckles. “Vwriska’s seen it.”   
“You’ve Been To The Palace Vriska?” Kanaya asked.  
“Um… I…” Vriska sips her drink.  
Dualscar picks her up and hoists her into his lap with a laugh, “She sure has. Wve wvent there right after she fuckin’ savwed me ass.”  
“She mentioned that to me but howw?” Eridan asked looking up at him.  
“Sure did!” he states.  
Vriska looks around embarrassed, and nervous. “Do we have to tell this story?” she mutters.  
“Yes! I had gotten me ass kidnapped by that sea cowv, Mindfang and Vwriska wvent after her to savwe me…. Good thing too because none of me other crewv wvould,” he states.  
“Ye told us if anythin’ happened to ye to keep workin’,” a crew member yells.  
“Shut up!” Dualscar barked. “So she came after me as savwed me. She fuckin’ chopped off Mindfang’s arm!”  
“WAIT, YOU DID WHAT?” Karkat yelled.  
“Yeah um… I did…” she mutters trying to scoot off Dualscar’s lap.  
“She sure did!” he yells pulling her into his lap again. “After that wve jumped ship because wve wvere bein’ swvarmed by her crewv. Wve swvam for a fewv days in the ocean before wvashin’ ashore at the Empress’ palace.”  
“W)(y didn’t you tell us that story, Vriska?” Feferi asked.  
“I don’t know…” she mutters sipping her drink.  
“All I knowv is Vwriska is goin’ to make a fine pirate someday… Maybe a privwateer if she wvants that. I wvould givwe her one of me ships in me fleet if she takes that path,” he laughed.  
“Wait really?” she asked looking up at him.  
“Of course and I wvould givwe me tiny descendant one too, if he really does wvant to be an Orphaner,” he states.  
“Really? You wwould givve me one of your ships?” Eridan asked.  
“Dualscar you are drunk. You are just given ships away left and right,” the first mate laughed.  
“I am serious and not drunk,” he scoffed. “If I wvas drunk I wvould be singin’ shanties.”   
“Oh no. Don’t… Don’t do it Dualscar… Just… No,” Vriska laughed drinking.   
Dualscar clears his throat and stands setting Vriska down on the couch. He jumps up on the coffee table.   
“OI! Wvhat'll wve do wvith a drunken sailor,  
Wvhat'll wve do wvith a drunken sailor,  
Wvhat'll wve do wvith a drunken sailor,  
Earl-aye in the mornin’?”  
The crew joins in starting to clap and play various instruments they had brought with them such as accordions and ukuleles.   
“Weigh heigh and up she rises  
Weigh heigh and up she rises  
Weigh heigh and up she rises  
Earl-aye in the morning.”  
“Oh god,” Vriska groans. “This is embarrassing.”  
Dualscar pulls her up on the table laughing. “N-no Dualscar. Stop! I swear. I don’t want to.”   
“I knowv ye knowv wvhat comes next,” he laughed looping arms with her and making her dance.   
“I don’t want to,” she whines.  
The music gets louder and the men cheer and clapping for her to sing. Vriska groans before singing.  
“Put him in the long boat till he's sober,  
Put him in the scuppers with a hose-pipe on him.  
Shave his belly with a rusty razor.  
Put him in bed with the Captain's daughter.”  
All the men begin singing with her, and Vriska and Dualscar danced on the table. She started laughing as she sang, having fun just like she did back on the ship. Her colleagues just watched in surprise before Cronus locked arms with Aradia and made her dance. The whole group began dancing and singing, but Vriska’s colleagues didn’t know the words so they just clapped and stomped along.  
“Beat him with a cat 'til his back is bleedin'  
Put him in the bilge and make him drink it  
Truss him up with a runnin' bowline.  
Give 'im a dose of salt and water.  
Stick on 'is back a mustard plaster.  
Send him up the crow's nest till he falls down,  
Tie him to the taffrail when she's yardarm under,  
Soak 'im in oil 'til he sprouts a flipper.  
Put him in the guard room 'til he's sober.  
That's what we'll do with the drunken sailor.”   
After the singing and dancing Vriska goes outside to get some fresh air for she was feeling slightly dizzy. The first mate walks out with a glass of water and hands it to her with a smile. She takes it and drinks sitting down on a bench outside. The first mate takes a seat beside her, smoking on a cigar he had.  
“You okay?” he asked.  
“I was about to puke,” she laughed. “Never make me dance and drink.”  
“Your friends and the crew are getting along now,” he chuckles.  
“That’s good,” she says sipping the water.  
“We missed you. Captain did for sure,” he states.  
“I can tell.”  
“We miss you on the ship.”  
“I miss you guys and the ship too.”  
“Do you want to come back?”  
“I do, but I can’t with Mindfang out there,” she sighs.  
“Will you join us when she is gone?” he asked.  
“I … I want to,” she states.   
The first mate nods tracing his fingers along the tattoo of a bear on his wrist. “Good.” He says smiling. “It will be good to have you back on the ship again.”  
Vriska heads back in after a few minutes and watched as the two groups got along. Feferi and Terezi were chatting it up with some of the men, Cronus was sharing penny pail books with others, and Nepeta was showing the chef her drawings. He chuckles looking at the many ships she had drawn, smirking at the newly added one of Vriska and Dualscar in the red quadrant.  
“I see ye added a special one,” he laughed.  
“:33 Yes, VriScar,” she giggles.  
He frowns huffing, “VriScar?”  
“:33 Yeah. That is the official ship name I gave it!” she giggles.  
“No… The official ship name is DualVris.”  
“:33 VriScar!”  
“DualVris!”  
“:33 VriScar!”  
“DualVris!”  
The two just begin growling at each other over which ship name was better.  
After a few hours everyone dismisses, the crew going back to the ship and Vriska’s friends going to their hives. Vriska, Dualscar, and the first mate remained at her hive. The first mate claimed the couch to sleep on and Dualscar and Vriska went up to her room. Dualscar chuckles sitting on her bed as he pulls her into his arms and kisses her softly on the neck.   
She giggles, “Dualscar stop~”  
“Awv but I wvanna lovwe ye~” he chuckles.  
“Dualscar were you serious about giving me one of your ships?” she asked.  
“Of course… I think ye should be a privwateer like me, and wve can sail side by side,” he says kissing her temple.  
“I thought you were a pirate. I mean you had slaves.”  
“Yeah… I abused the powver I wvas givwen, and did some bad things, but that isn’t me anymore,” he says brushing some hair from her face.  
“So, what do I do as a privateer?” she asked.  
“Kinda like wvhat I do, take out pirates wvho cross yer path!” he chuckles.  
“What if become a pirate though? Would you have to hunt me down?…” she asks.  
“Of course not. I wvould support ye Vwris…” he states.  
“I don’t know about being a privateer. I always wanted to be a pirate,” she sighs.  
“Bein’ a privwateer is like bein’ the pirate of pirates. Ye get their gold wvhen ye take them out… Besides… I think ye wvould prefer bein’ a privwateer. Yer crewv wvould be respectful not hooligans, the military wvouldn’t be after ye, ye are swveet and I think bein’ a pirate wvould mess that up, and ye can get rid of people like Mindfang. Ye havwe the fun of the pirate life wvhile bein’ respected by others. People fear pirates, but respect privwateers. I wvon’t force ye to do it, but I honestly think it wvould be a better life for ye,” he says.  
“… I think you are right… I want to be a privateer,” she giggles.  
He smirks, “Good then wve wvould be allies forevwer.”  
“Allies but not matesprits?” she teased.  
“I wvant to be yer matesprit till the day I die. Wvhich wvon’t be for a long wvhile,” he chuckles.  
“That reminds me. How old are you?” she asks.  
He chokes some. “Does it matter?”  
“Um well my friends were asking…” she giggles. “I just want to know.”  
“There is no need to knowv,” he chuckled awkwardly.  
“You know how old I am. Are you a hundred sweeps?” she teased.  
“No!” he scoffed.  
“Then tell me,” she laughed.  
“I am nervwous ye wvill think ye are too young for me…” he mutters his fins drooping sadly.  
“I would never think that. I am old enough to be with anyone older than me… It isn’t like it matters,” she giggles.  
“I am twventy-four swveeps,” he mutters laying back on the bed.  
“Oh that isn’t bad,” she laughed cuddling him.  
He chuckles embarrassed, “I just didn’t wvant ye to think less of me.”  
“I would never think that,” she giggles kissing his scars.  
His fins perk up and he blushes dark before smiling softly at her. “Ye are too good for me.”  
“I feel the same way about you,” she giggles.  
He smiles and kisses her deeply. “Ye are so fuckin’ adorable. I can’t handle havwin’ such a cute girl in me arms.”  
She blushed dark giggling, “Oh hush stop with the cheesy shit.”  
“I am sorry but it is true~ I lovwe ye so much~ I can’t wait till wve sail the seas together and forevwer,” he says hugging her tightly.  
“I love you too. I feel so lost without my strong handsome fish around~” she teased.  
“I feel the same about me beautiful little spider~”  
Out in the ocean in the bowels of a dark ominous ship, a white sphere was set down on a desk. Robotic fingers tapped along the wood of a desk as an eight pupiled woman glared down at the orb. She scowled a bit annoyed at what she just saw through her magic cue ball. She had asked to see her former kismesis, but was surprised to see him kissing and loving on her wretched spawn. She then smirked slightly her fangs glinting in the moonlight.  
“Figures… I got to remind him why I was his favor8 adversary.”


	27. The Runner

“Can ye fuckin’ 8elieve that asshole and little 8itch are a couple?! I will make them pay! I will show Dualscar why he h8ed me and that 8itch why she feared me!” Mindfang snarled.  
The Summoner puts his hands on her hips and sighs looking up at her, “I get you are angry, but… maybe you should just… let 1t go. He 1s your ex…. And she’s your own blood.”  
“Let it go?! THAT 8ITCH CUT OFF ME ARM! I WON’T LET IT GO UNTIL I CUT HER INTO PIECES AND HAVE THAT VIOLET ASSHOLE QUIVERING 8EFORE ME IN FEAR! WHAT DOES THAT LITTLE TWAT HAVE THAT I DON’T?” she screamed.  
“Why 1s he so 1mportant to you? I feel l1ke you care more about a relat1onsh1p you had w1th h1m than the one you have w1th me,” he huffed.  
“Ye must understand that that PRICK MUST PAY! THAT LITTLE WHORE MUST PAY!” she yelled.  
“D*mn, M1ndfang. Could you not yell at me wh1le you are pa1l1ng me?! It 1s a mood k1ller. Ser1ously, I am tempted to leave,” he groaned.  
She sighs crossing her arms, “Sorry….8ut can ye understand me point of view at least… I want them to suffer… They hurt me. Sorry I am takin’ it out on ye.”  
He raised a brow, but ended up rolling his eyes. “Yeah Babe. I get you.”  
Vriska found herself in a dark room, everything was the color of pitch and there were no signs of anything else, but her in it. She took a step forward, the ground felt like ice on her bare feet causing her spine to shiver. She bit her lip, it felt like there was some ominous force pushing her from behind, but despite her will that wanted to stay put, she walked straight ahead. Something didn’t feel right, and she couldn’t help, but hear thousands of sad hollow voices whispering right in her ear, she couldn’t make out what they said though.   
As she kept walking it felt like the ground was shifting downward slightly which gave her a sinking feeling in her gut. She could now make out a few of the words the whispering voices said, one of them was ‘pay’, another one was ‘die’ and there was the occasional ‘fall’. Her feet finally stopped and it felt like her toes were dangling off the edge of some sort of ledge. She then heard a scream from behind so she turned her head only to be greeted by a hundred pale hands pushing her. She began to fall and the pitch black faded to reveal her residential cliff and a starry night sky above. She looks to her left and right to see the damned souls of those she killed swarming around her. Their whispery voices joined together and in unison they wailed a chant in a hellish tone.  
“SHE MUST PAY. She must die. SHE WILL FALL. She must pay. SHE MUST DIE. She will fall.”   
She shut her eyes tightly her tears flying upwards as her hands covered her ears. “Please stop,” she cried.  
The chanting only grew louder, but when she opened her eyes again it all went silent. She felt like she had been falling for sweeps and she slowly turned over to see if there was a bottom. There was a bottom, lined with jagged pointy peaks, and it was approaching quickly. She tried to scream, but she then felt like her body crashed through water, instead of being impaled upon rocky peaks. She looked around to see the ocean waters surrounding her, in the distant subaquatic scenery were masses of dark tentacle figures and what appeared to be lighting. She gasped bubbles rising up as she sank like a bag of rocks to the sandy bottom of the sea.  
The ocean water began to drain around her and she instantly became dry somehow. She stood looking around, seeing a woman standing in the close distance. She took a deep breath and walked forward, her hands balling into fists, prepared to fight. When she was just a few feet away she saw the back of the woman, and she noticed that the woman was her. She heard whimpering coming from the doppelgänger and she frowned reaching her hand out. She gently touched the lookalike’s shoulder, causing it to turn around.   
“No please. Leave me alone,” the Vriska clone cried.   
“No it’s okay…. I am not going to hurt you.”  
“LEAVE ME ALONE, MINDFANG,” she scream.  
“M-Mindfang… I am not h-her.”  
The clone began laughing manically, “You will die!!! You will rot!!”  
Vriska shakes and backs up slowly away from her clone. “N-no I won’t!”  
“MURDERER!” the clone screeched pointing at her.  
She trips and falls on her back. “I-I didn’t w-want to be…”  
The clone tears the flesh from her face, showing off a bloody skull with chunks of meat still clinging to it. It screamed its body shaking violently, blood splattering from its former face. Vriska looked on in horror at the monstrosity before her.  
“YOU WILL FAIL. YOUR FRIENDS WILL DIE. YOU WILL DECAY!” it screeched.  
“Fuck you! You don’t know me!” Vriska yelled beginning to run.   
She then heard a kind voice. “Vwris…”  
“W-who’s there?” she mutters.  
“Vwris…” A light shined up above, so she reached her hand up towards it and a hand grabbed hers pulling her up.  
Vriska woke with a gasp shaking slightly, it was just a nightmare, a terrible nightmare. She looks around, she was in her room and it was still dark for it was the middle of the night. Large firm arms were wrapped around her, holding her protectively. She looked over to see Dualscar, who was staring at her a bit concerned.  
“Another night terror?” he asked softly.  
“Y-yeah… It was a bad one,” she sighed.  
“Ye kept kickin’ me… Wvere ye runnin’ from somethin’?” he says calmly.  
“I don’t really want to talk about it… I am sorry for kicking you,” she muttered.  
“Do ye wvant anythin’? Wvater? Wvant to stay up and wvatch some T.Vw. to calm dowvn?” he questioned rubbing her shoulders.  
She leaned over to her nightstand grabbing a flask out of the drawer. She opens it up and takes a big swig with grunt. She lets out a satisfied sigh and looks down at the flask in her hands. Dualscar puts a hand over one of her much smaller ones, causing her to look up at him.  
“Is the alcohol really goin’ to help?” he asked.  
“Does it help you?” she whispered.   
He lets out a sad sigh and took the flask from her hands. He put it to his lips and downed the rest of it before handing it back over. She sighs looking at the empty flask and puts it back down on the nightstand.  
“Ye knowv ye don’t havwe to hide from me, Vwris? I just wvant to take care of ye. Lovwe ye. Protect ye. For as long as I breathe. Ye can talk to me, Swveetie. That’s wvhat I am here for,” he says giving her a tight hug.  
“I know, babe. Sometimes… it’s hard. I love you though, and I am thankful for that. Thankful for having you, and thankful for still being capable of feeling love,” she says leaning over to kisses his cheek.  
He smiles his fins drooping down some. “Try to get back to sleep. Remember I wvill alwvays be here to chase awvay yer fears.”  
“But you won’t be here always… you are leaving in a few days,” she sighs.  
“Sure, I wvon’t alwvays be here physically, but just knowv I don’t stop thinkin’ about ye, and I wvill alwvays come back.”  
“Yeah,” she nods smiling some. “That is a good thing to know.”  
“Nowv get back to sleep. I wvill be here wvhen ye wvake,” he chuckles kissing her nose.  
That morning Eridan was lingering outside Vriska’s hive almost pacing. The young sea dweller’s brain was rattling with many questions, thoughts, and concerns. He wanted to talk to Vriska and confirm she wasn’t with Dualscar, but he didn’t want to disturb her in case she was still sleeping. Equius comes out of his hive and walks up to the sprightly sea dweller.  
“What are you doing?” he asked.  
“Nothin’! So… last night did you hear anythin’?” Eridan asked.  
“What do you mean?” Equius says with a raised brow.  
“Like did you hear... Vvriska… doin’ anythin’ … intimate?” he asked.  
“That is 100d, seadweller! You should probably leave now before I tell Vriska what you’ve been asking me,” he states crossing his arms.  
“Aww come on, Eq. Tell me if you heard anythin’ or not,” he pouts.  
“No. Now go. Come back later when Vriska and the Noble sea dweller are up,” he huffed.  
“Fine,” Eridan muttered heading back to his hive.  
Cronus looks over from the couch as he sees his littler dancestor enter. “Find out vwhat you vwanted to knovw, Chief?”  
“No. Equius chased me off,” he groans sitting down.  
“You shouldn’t dvwell on it. Vwhy does it matter so much to you anywvays?” he asked.  
Eridan’s fins drooped and he sighs, “I don’t knoww, she’s my ex… Plus I still havven’t really gotten to knoww Dualscar yet because she has taken all his attention. It isn’t really that fair.”  
“You can’t really blame either of them for that though. Those tvwo became friends out on the sea, they also experienced quite a fevw struggles together,” Cronus replied.  
“Yeah I knoww… I knoww…”  
Vriska woke up, smiling over at her matesprit, who had his arms wrapped around her waist. She sits up some sliding from his embrace and gets up out of the bed. She puts on a black t-shirt and some blue jeans and heads downstairs to see the first mate making some coffee in her kitchen.   
“Morning Vriska. How are you?” he asks sipping from a mug that had Nick Cage’s face on it.  
“I was good until I caught you drinking from my favorite mug,” she teased.  
He chuckles some. “How did you sleep?”  
“Um… Good,” she says going to pour herself a cup of coffee.  
“Dualscar still asleep?” he asked.  
“Yeah. He should be down any moment though. Is the crew still all on the ship?” she replied.  
“No, I saw them scatter about a little while ago. Chef should be here any moment though to make you and Dualscar some breakfast,” he says sipping from the Nick mug.  
She smiles softly, “Breakfast sounds nice. I am hungry.”  
The chef soon comes over in a bombastic manner, as usual, and began cooking up a breakfast of lusus steak and eggs. Dualscar woke to the delightful smell of food, got dressed, and came down to stuff his face. Vriska sits by him and eats her breakfast smiling softly. Once breakfast was over, Chef got to work cleaning the plates while the first mate goes over to his Capitan to check up on him.   
“So how are you Captain?” he asked.  
“Good and ye?” he says.  
“Good. So, what is the plan for today?” he asked looking down at the mug.  
“I wvas gonna spend the day wvith Vwris… Feel free to do wvhatevwer ye like… Go to the market… Get yerself somethin’ nice,” he says holding Vriska’s hand.  
“Um yeah. Okay,” he muttered.  
“Ye okay?”  
“Yeah just a bit tired… I will be fine. I am probably going to get some new clothes and stuff,” he replied  
The Chef walks over to him and pats his back. “I’ll come with ye. I need to get me a new cookin’ utensils anyways.”  
“Yeah. Okay,” he sighs.  
The first mate finishes up his cup of coffee and puts it in the sink before heading out the door. Dualscar gave a puzzled look to the chef, wondering what was wrong with his first mate. The chef shook his head and shrugged in reply, he had no clue either on what was troubling the man. Dualscar waves the chef off, who goes to catch up with the first mate.  
“I wonder what is wrong with him,” Vriska says.  
“I don’t knowv… Sometimes he gets like that… Maybe he had a bad dream…” He says.  
“Yeah… but when he woke up he wouldn’t he have been relieved that the bad dream was over?… It is just a dream… I get over mine…” she sighs.  
“Yeah… but unlike yer dreams wvhich are generally nightmarish terrors… His are memories… Either old ones… or ones that havwe yet to happen,” he replied.  
“You mean like premonition dreams?” she asks.  
“Yeah… But half the time it is generally nothin’ to be concerned about.”  
“And the other half?”  
“It is generally nothin’ wve can’t handle.”  
“Should we still check on him though?”  
“Wve just got to let him get out of this mood himself. Don’t wvorry about it, Swveetie.” He pats her back. “He wvill be okay.”  
She smiles softly and kisses his cheek, “How about we watch some T.V.? Anything specific you would want to watch?”  
“Put it on wvhatevwer. I just wvant to spend time wvith ye,” he purrs nuzzling her face with his.   
“Gah! Stop,” she chuckles trying to push his face away. “You can be so mushy sometimes.”  
“Ye make me this wvay,” he laughed.  
“Ew that is so cheesy,” she giggles.  
He rolls his eyes and pulls her in for a tight hug. “I wvant ye to relax today, especially after yer bad dreams last night.”  
Vriska nods and turns on the T.V. to some sort of marine life show, even though the guide told her a Nick Cage movie was about to come on. As much as she loves Nick Cage, she didn’t want to put Dualscar through that again. The two unusual lovers lay on the couch and enjoy the time they had with one another. Times like these were nice because they can forget the pain in their lives, forget themselves and just become a part of the moment they spend with each other. It made him happy, and it made her happy, and that’s what truly mattered.   
As the time passed Dualscar began to pepper his smaller matesprit’s neck in kisses, causing her to giggle from it being ticklish. She looks up at the male seeing him give her a lustful glare. She smirks and sits up some to look down upon the needy man. He sits up next to her and gives a soft grin before kissing her cheek softly.  
“Really? You are horny?” she asked chuckling lightly under her breath.  
“I can’t help meself. Ye are so pretty and I can’t help, but feel excited around ye,” he laughs  
She rolls her eyes smirking softly, “You are like a little wriggler.”  
“I can’t help it, ye make me so happy. It has been so long since I havwe had a matesprit… wvho is actually kind to me, and cares about me. Of course I wvould be excited and a little wvrigglerish. Sorry if it makes ye uncomfortable or somethin’.”  
“I am not uncomfortable,” she giggles. “Just… shocked… No one has ever really gotten excited to be around me… I am still trying to get used to it.”  
He kisses her softly running a hand through her hair. “Wvell get used to it… because I am here to stay.”  
“…You make me really happy too…” she says looking down.  
“Good… Ye deservwe to be happy…”  
She smirks. “Now since you take care of me… Let me take care of you.”  
“Hm?” His fins perk up.  
Vriska gives a sly smirk to him and slides off the couch, going down in between his legs. The old Capitan blushed bright violet and looked down at her a bit shocked about what she meant. She chuckles and messes around with getting his belt undone, but he grabs her hands stopping her.  
“Ye don’t havwe too… I don’t wvant ye to feel obligated to do anythin’ ye don’t wvant to do,” he says.  
“If I didn’t want to do this I wouldn’t let you be here,” she giggles.  
“Oh… Yeah,” he chuckles a bit nervously.   
Eridan was on the march back to Vriska’s hive, he really wanted to talk to her, and to see Dualscar. With no sign of Equius around to chase him away again, he walks up the front steps to the door. Being accustomed to just entering without permission, he opens the front door without knocking at all. He enters the hive and goes to the living room, assuming they were in there because he could hear the T.V. playing. His jaw dropped and felt his body burn at the sight he saw. Dualscar looked over blushing dark, his hands releasing Vriska’s horns as he jumped slightly in surprise. This cause a chain reaction and her eyes opened to see a horrified Dualscar, before shifting over to see Eridan, which made her pull away and scream lightly. Dualscar’s hands quickly went to cover his manhood, but other than that quick motion his mind was at a blank.   
“Eridan!” Vriska yelled.  
“Vvriska, wwhat the fuck?!” he yelled back.  
“Who the hell enters without knocking?!”  
“Wwell, I never had to knock before!”  
“Yeah… but we were kismesises before!”  
“Yeah wwe wwere… but noww I knoww wwhy wwe are not anymore!”   
Vriska sighs and moves to sit up on the couch next to Dualscar. “Eridan… I am sorry I didn’t tell you.”  
“Seriously! Wwhat the fuck?! You twwo are fuckin’?! Really!? You left me because you wwere off screwwin’ him?! You lied to me!” he screamed.  
Vriska stands up. “Look I know you are pissed off … I would be too, but I didn’t lie about why I left you. I couldn’t be your kismesis because it was too akin to Mindfang.”  
“Ohhhh, but you can fuck her ex, and that’s perfectly fine!?” he yelled.  
“That’s different though! We are matesprits…. Look I never expected to end up with your ancestor, but I did… Everything was so crazy, but he was there to take care of me, and protect me, and it just kind of happened,” she sighs.  
“But he’s my fuckin’ ancestor!”  
Dualscar finished fixing his pants and stood up. “Look lad, I knowv ye are upset, but ye got to understand she is tellin’ the truth.”  
“You shut up! You are probably usin’ her as a fuck toy! You are just an old pervvert that probably just needed a Mindfang replacement!” he yells.  
“Wvoah, I knowv ye are me descendant, but fuck ye! Damn it! I wvould nevwer do that to her! I am not a complete asshole!”  
“Fuck the both of you! I can’t fuckin’ believwe this!”   
Equius comes in the hive after hearing all the screaming and yelling. “What is going on?”  
“They are fuckin’!” Eridan yells.  
“This again,” he sighs.  
“I just caught her wwith his fuckin’ bulge in her mouth!” he yells stomping out the door.  
“That is very 100d!” he yells as Eridan leaves. He then looks at Vriska and sweats slightly. “Wait… Is it true?”   
Vriska tears up some and runs up the stairs and into her room. Dualscar frowns and looks at Equius. “Could ye please leavwe? She wvill talk to ye later okay?”  
“Er- Yes. Okay,” Equius says quickly leaving.  
Dualscar sighs his fins dropping and he goes to check on Vriska, who was in bed crying. He sits next to her and holds her close rubbing her back softly. She wipes her tears and sighs hunching over some.   
“It is okay…” he says.  
“No, it isn’t! He hates me now and he is going to tell everyone about us! We are going to be freaks! This is a nightmare!” she rants.  
“They wvere goin’ to find out evwentually. Remember… Their opinion of us doesn’t matter anywvays. I still lovwe ye and ye still lovwe me that’s all that matters,” he says hugging her.  
“Yeah… You’re right, but there is still going to be an uproar about this… Poor Eridan… I need to tell him I am sorry.”  
“Ye just havwe to let him cool off nowv.”  
Eridan paces his hive growling and screaming about what happened. Cronus couldn’t help, but laugh at his deranged dancestor.   
“You fuckin’ called it! I can’t fuckin’ believwe it!” Eridan yelled.  
“Damn. I am actually a bit surprised,” he says lighting a cigarette.  
“That bitch! I wwon’t forgive her for this!” he snarls.  
“Vwoah! Novw you are takin’ it too far. I vwould be pissed too if my hot babe left me, but under the conditions she has gone through I vwouldn’t blame her… I get you are mad, but it vwon’t make anythin’ better.”  
“But-” Eridan sighs sitting down on the couch.  
“Yellin’ at her and hatin’ them vwon’t. That vwill only hurt them more. You care about her don’t you?”   
“Um… yeah.”  
“Then calm dovwn… I am not sayin’ you hawve to like this, but screamin’ at them vwon’t help. Just let this happen, and respect their choices. Hawve your negatiwve thoughts, hawve your anger, but keep it to yourself. If you care about her then respect vwhat she has done and vwhy she has done it,” he sighs smoking.   
“But-”  
“But vwhat?”  
“… You’re right….” he sighs. “I wwas really harsh to her… I need to apologize.”  
“Vwell after callin’ ‘Scar a perwv I vwould vwait to go back owver there. You can alvways message her.”  
He nods. “…Yeah.”  
In the evening Vriska’s husk top goes off with a bing as she got a message on Trollian. She had been lying in bed with Dualscar, watching movies on a small T.V. in her room. Neither of them really wanted to see anyone else, so they closed down the hive, only leaving the front door unlocked so the first mate and or chef could come in. At the notification sound her husktop gave, she stood up and brought the husktop over to bed.  
“Wvhat is it?” he asked.  
“Not what… Who, and it’s Eridan,” she sighs.  
“Oh… Ignore it,” he grumbled.  
“I need to see what he wants,” she replied.  
“Oh okay… Wvell, I am goin’ to hop in the shower if ye need me,” he says getting up.  
“Yeah okay,” she says opening the husktop.  
\--caligulasAquarium [CA] began trolling arachnidsGrip [AG]--  
CA: hey vvris  
AG: I am sorry.  
CA: no i blew up on you and scar I am sorry  
AG: Okay, but I should apologize for not telling you I guess.  
CA: you forgot your 8 replacement you put a b that is not the serket wway  
AG: Yeah. I don’t do that anymore.  
CA: wwhat wwhy  
AG: Because it was what always Mindfang did.  
CA: but you are not her  
AG: Yes, I know, but I want to be someone new.  
CA: wwhat happened to you  
\--arachnidsGrip [AG] ceased trolling caligulasAquarium [CA]--


	28. Face Off

It was soon time for Dualscar to return out to sea to continue his work for the Empress, and Vriska was dreading this moment because not only was her comfort leaving but soon she would be bombarded by annoying questions and judgements from her peers. While Dualscar was there she, surprisingly, wasn’t bothered by any of them, probably because they all fear some sort of wrath from the elder seadweller. She knew they knew, however, whether it be from the idol questioning glances she got as she would pass them by or the slightly ajar mouths that appeared whenever she was near. If she was still the malicious spirited girl she used to be she would hunt down the gossiper and impale them through the chest with her blade, but alas that kind of fury resided in to the deepest recesses of her mind, waiting for the day when she can take all that anger out on the bitch named Mindfang.   
“I am going to miss you,” she says softly standing on the dock next to him as the crew gathered belongings and supplies putting them on the ship.  
“Aye. I feel the same. It seems like this wveek has gone by faster than expected,” he sighs patting her shoulder.  
“At least we will be able to talk though while you are away,” she replied with a soft smile.  
Vriska had convinced Sollux to give her one of his spare husktops so she could give it to Dualscar so they could remain in contact. Now whenever she felt that empty longing she could just message him, which made her feel a little better. It was nothing like talking in person, but at least it was something, so she couldn’t complain.  
The odd pair said their goodbyes and parted ways, even though it hurt them both to do so. Vriska stood on the docks watching quietly with a cigarette betwixt her lips as she watched the ship fade away slowly into the sunset. She takes a long drag letting the smoke leak out from her nose, she was anxiety ridden over the judgement that was coming, but she had to remember in the end it was all going to be okay. She heard footsteps approach her from behind and she let out a low sigh flicking her cigarette into the water.  
“What is it?” she asked not even turning to see who it was.  
“You doin’ okay, Babe?” a suave calm voice spoke.  
She looked over her shoulder. “Oh? It is you. I am fine… Why are you here, Cronus? To ask me about my intimate matters? I assume Eridan told you the minute he got home.”  
“Nah. I figured it out day one so I don’t really hawve any surprised questions to ask. In all honesty I just vwanted to see if you vwere alright,” he replied pulled out a box of smokes from his back pocket.  
“I don’t mean to be harsh… but why do you care?” She asked turning around entirely.  
“Because I knovw you are pained, and it hurts my heart to see such a fine lady like yourself be upset. Pretty girls should never be sad,” he chuckles pressing a cigarette up to his lips.  
“How painfully poetic,” she scoffed. “Look man, I am taken, so you can just stop beating around the bush with your ‘modest’ word games and go,” she hissed walking passed him.  
“Yes, I am knovwn for my vword games and it is hovw I try to lure pretty women to me, but that is not vwhat I am after,” he says blowing smoke. “After meetin’ Dualscar, and seein’ hovw much he cares for you I vwould like to keep an eye out for you. Someone has to do it, and Eridan is too upset to care and the others are vwell… are on the immature side.”  
“Why would you care? What is in it for you?” she mutters.  
“Satisfaction…” he walks towards her. “Self- admiration… Possible praise from my ancestor… Knovwing I helped someone … and… a friend…” he chuckles looking down at her.  
“Friend?” she scoffed crossing her arms. “Why would you desire my friendship… other than for my looks?”   
“Some might say I hawve vwhat you call a ‘corrosiwve personality’. I end up hurtin’ or upsettin’ those around me vwithout ewven tryin’ to. I try to shovw those I care about exactly hovw much I care, but it alvways backfires because I couldn’t ewven find a proper vway to shovw them in the first place. Despite gettin’ upset vwith myself on hovw much I truly…. Suck I alvways end up actin’ like a prick in public. Constantly repeatin’ the cycle that alvways causes me to dig myself a deeper hole. I knovw I suck… There are things I vwant, but knovw I could newver get which fuels my unstable actions…. To be blunt… I knowv you are the same… I just assumed us corrosiwve personalities should stick together, because vwe vwould be able to stand one another,” he says taking a deep inhale from the cigarette.   
She sighs looking down, “Damn… Guess you caught me.”  
“I knovw you hurt, so just talk to me if you need an ally,” he says patting her back before walking past her.  
“… Is that why you hurt yourself?” she asked.  
He stopped almost immediately and grew still. “And hovw do you know that?” he mutters.  
“Well Eridan said he’s caught you mutilating your gills and fins… Is it because you are upset with yourself?” she asked.  
“Let’s just say no matter hovw good the vworld tells me I look, the mirror alvways says other vwise. Again, there is somethin’ I desire, that I vwill newver get,” he replied before walking away.   
Vriska returns to her hive and turns on the lights for it was night time by the time she made it back to her hive. She face plants into the cushions of her couch and wraps her arms around one of the throw pillows. Shortly after arriving home, not even having a chance to relax, Vriska heard a knock on the door. The annoyed girl let out a long drawn out sigh, and contemplated if she even wanted to deal with opening it. She pulls herself off the couch making her way to the door and opening it. There was the small group of her female ‘friends’ who barged their way inside.   
“Yes. Hello come on in,” she huffed.  
“Vriska! )(ow could you not say anyt)(ing!?” Feferi exclaimed.  
“I am assuming Eridan told you,” she mutters.  
“NO N3P3T4 D1D,” Terezi replied.  
“Nepeta?!” Vriska looks over at the feline troll. “How did you find out about that?!”  
“:33 I heard Equius talking about it,” she giggles.  
“I am going to kill that horse head,” Vriska growls under her breath.  
“How Did You End Up With One Of The Strongest And Most Feared Trolls Out On The Sea?” Kanaya questioned.  
“Eh. Shit happens,” Vriska huffed. “Some things can happen that you can’t explain.”  
“-Ending up wit)( Dualscar isn’t somet)(ing t)(at just )(appens,” Feferi states.  
“Well I got to know him. He got to know me, so you know. I don’t really feel like talking about it…” she sighs.  
“WHY 4NOTH3R 4MPOR4? N33D 4 B1GG3R 3R1DAN?” Terezi snickers.  
“Firstly, Dualscar is nothing like Eridan… In any way, shape, or form. Secondly, I am with him because he is kind to me and we care about each other, not because his blood line,” she replied.  
“So….. You two… pailed?” Feferi whispers.  
“Yes! We pailed… He is my matesprit. That is something you do with a matesprit,” she scoffed.  
“W)(at does it look like?” she asked quietly.  
“Excuse me?” She snarled.  
“You know…)(is bul- ”  
“WHY?! Why are you asking that?”  
“W)(ale… We want to know t)(e size…”  
“Why?!”  
“W3LL 1N 4LL HON3STY WHO WOULDN’T B3 CURIOUS?” Terezi states.  
“Well, I Have To Admit I Am Also Curious. We Have Never Met An Older Troll Like Him,” Kanaya says.  
“1 H34RD TROLLS L1K3 H1M C4N H4VE 1T UP TO TWO M3T3RS,” Terezi chuckles.  
“Fucking hell?! What kind of demented fan fictions have you been reading? If it was that big I would not be alive at all…. He is not one of Equius’ muscle beast pictures. He is just a normal troll… for the most part,” she huffed.  
“But how big is it?” Aradia asked.  
“You’re a pervert too? I had hope for you, Aradia…” Vriska sighs completely exhausted and disturbed by the ridiculous questions.  
Aradia just replies with a small shrug and an unamused expression across her face. The girls kept asking outlandish questions that kept making Vriska more and more uncomfortable. Is this what women seriously talked about when it comes to male matesprits? Vriska thought to herself. Maybe this is why she never had a matesprit before. They never pestered her when she slept with Eridan, during their black rom, but why is Dualscar so special to them?  
“Why do you care so much about his junk?” she sighed. “You never bothered me about Eridan’s when I was with him…” she huffed.  
“Dualscar is no Eridan…” Feferi giggles.  
“It is decent, okay?”   
“HOW B1G?”  
“I am not discussing that. Please let me rest.”  
“F1N3 BUT TH1S 1SN’T OV3R,” Terezi laughs.  
“It never is with you,” she says with a smirk.  
The girls leave with the rest of their intrusive questions and Vriska decides to shower up before hunkering down in her coon. Out on the ocean Dualscar was in his cabin for the evening, the waters were calm so he decided to relax. He tried messaging Vriska on his new communication device known as Trollian, but there was no reply so he assumed she must have already gone to sleep. He sits at his desk flipping through a few nautical magazines, finding himself rather sleepy. That was until his fins twitched to the sound of metal boots and he jolted awake.  
“Howv did ye get in here?” Dualscar growls glancing over his shoulder at Mindfang.   
“Yer watch men are practically fallin’ asleep out there. It was easy for me to sneak a8oard. Ye really need a new crew,” she snickers putting her hands on his shoulders.  
He yanks away. “Don’t touch me, ye filthy wvhore… I am guessin’ ye came by a dingy. I didn’t feel the presence of yer ship, and the wvaters are still,” he says softly.  
“I have me ways of sneakin’ a8out. I am a pir8,” she chuckles. “I just really wanted to see me Orphy,” she whispers in his ear.  
He chuckles, “Wvho wvouldn’t wvant to see me? I am pretty fascinatin’.” He reached under his desk grabbing a hidden dagger. “Nowv tell me wvhy should I not kill yer ass?”  
“Aw why do ye have to 8e that way?” she pouts stepping back.  
“This cutesy coy bullshit may havwe savwed yer ass in the past, but yer wvicked, and ye must perish. Stand there a minute longer and I wvill kill ye, and it wvill be bloody,” he growls standing up.  
“Ye haven’t changed at all,” she says crossing her arms with a smirk.  
“Wvell I wvould prefer that rather than becomin’ more wvicked, like you,” he snarls pointing his dagger up at her. “Ye got forty seconds to flee nowv. Take them and run!”  
“Aw. Can’t we just have fun?” she teased.  
“Yer idea of fun is a8usin’ anyone wvho doesn’t think like ye! Ye’vwe hurt a lot of people I havwe cared about and I wvon’t stand to havwe you destroy anyone else!” he growls.  
“That little girl… Vriska?! She is a lost cause. How could ye 8e with someone so puny?! She is just 8ig talk and nothing more! I am honestly disgusted ye could go red with… with that,” she snarls.  
“Howv could you be so cruel to her? She is yer blood. She lovwed ye Mindfang! She wvas probably the only one wvho evwer truly did. I am disgusted ye could do that to someone wvho admired ye…” he yelled. “Ye havwe ten seconds nowv.”  
“She would have gotten in me way and made me weak… Just like she is makin’ ye, 8ut ye have always 8een soft on pretty girls who are willing to take yer 8ulge in their throat,” she scoffed.   
“That’s bullshit! Plus ye suck at takin’ a bulge in yer fuckin’ mouth! Ye evwer heard of not usin’ teeth! The only good thing about yer shitty blowvs wvas it actually got ye to stop fuckin’ talkin’,” he yelled.  
“Oh yeah? Empress wanted ye to kill me 8ut I managed to change yer mind,” she smirks.  
“I wvas foolish and stupid back then,” he hissed.  
“YE STILL ARE, DUALSCAR! Look at ye, complainin’ and whinin’ a8out how I hurt yer little slut, without even 8eing aware of how she is holdin’ ye down!”  
“It isn’t just Vwris ye’vwe hurt. Ye killed me fuckin’ doctor! He wvas a good man!” he snarls.  
“So what? Ye killed me first m8,” she scoffed.  
“And I wvould gladly do it again… There was more I wvanted to do to him… I wvould of made him feel true pain, but me rage made me go to quick and easy on that bastard,” he growls. “Anywvays ye hurt Rosa too… Just cause I lovwed her!”  
She growls, “Ye killed her! Ye got pissed off 8ecause I loved her too, and you got jealous!”  
“Ye didn’t lovwe her…. Ye lovwed her submission… Ye forced yerself on her! Ye defiled her!”  
“She wanted me! She loved me 8ack!”  
“Ye are so fuckin’ blind, Fang. Ye wvant to knowv wvhy I killed the wvoman I lovwed?” He walks up to her growling softly in her ear. “She asked me to…. Because she couldn’t livwe wvith the fact that ye dirtied her.”  
She pushed him away snarling. “Yer a fuckin’ liar! She loved me!”  
“Yeah. Keep tellin’ yerself that. Only one of us wvill evwer be right. Yer time is up, Fang,” he says as runs his finger down the dagger’s blade. “I wvould of let ye livwe for nowv if ye chose to flee…. But ye didn’t.”  
He lunged towards her but she quickly parried to the left, dodging his blow, unfortunately this left her falling on his bed. He growls getting on top of her and straddling her waist to hold her down as he tried to bring the blade down into her chest, but she held his wrist tightly with her mechanical arm. If it was just her normal arm he could have easily overpowered her and killed her already, but the Darkleer always built his robotic limbs with super strength. He growls spitting in her face as he towered over her, still trying to bring the blade to her flesh. She squeezed his wrist tightly causing his arm to shake before he dropped the dagger with a groan.  
“Wvhy did ye come here?” he sighs.  
“I wanted to see if I could turn ye 8ack into the man I h8ed 8ut it is apparent I can’t. Ye are too weak,” she chuckles.  
“Fuck ye…. Wvhat happened to ye? Ye use to be so admirable. Strong. Beautiful. Powverful. Bold. I used to care a lot about ye… but like evwerythin’ else… ye’vwe taken that awvay… I thought maybe there wvas still some light in ye… but I can see that is gone nowv.”  
“Oh save the dramatics,” she scoffed.  
He gets off of her and opens the door for her. “Get off me ship nowv. I am sparin’ ye…. Though the next time I see ye I wvill kill ye. For me. For Rosa. For me crewv. For the Empress. For Vwris… and for wvho ye use to be.”  
She giggles standing up. “Oh so honora8le,” she teased. “Oh I knowv wve wvill duel next time. I wvill 8e sure of that~” She slips out the door.  
Dualscar sighs softly and lays down on his bed running his fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes and fell asleep right there, having a conversation like that with that women took all the energy out of him. The next morning there was banging on his door from one of his crew mates. He stood up with a groan and opens the door glaring at the crew member.   
“Wvhat is it? I am tryin’ to sleep,” he yelled.  
“Uh-h M-mindfang….” The man whimpered.  
“Wvhat about her?” he snarls.  
The man hands over a box neatly wrapped in gift paper. “She left this…”  
“Wvell wvhat is it?” Dualscar asked looking at it.  
“I don’t know…”  
Dualscar groans shaking the box some, there was a loud thud as something banged against the sides of the cardboard. Well, it wasn’t a bomb it didn’t sound metallic or mechanical, plus shaking it would have probably made it explode. There was a note on the wrapping paper that read, ‘Here ye go, Orphy. I got ye a gift. This is very special. There’s only one in existence… or was one :::;P.’ He cocked a brow and pulls the wrapping off before opening the box. He dropped the box seeing what was inside and steps back putting a hand over his mouth.   
Vriska woke up early that day and went for a run along the beach, she needed to get stronger. The waves were calm and the wind was gentle, which put her in a pleasant mood. Everything was so tranquil, it was actually very surprising after everything that had happened. Around noon she walked up the cliff path that led to her hive. She planned on messaging and chatting with Dualscar to see how he was doing on this nice day. She spotted Equius outside and huffed lightly, she needed to talk about his gossiping, which she thought she would have never had to do.  
“Equius!” she called out running up to him.  
“Oh hello, Serket,” he says softly.  
“Why did you think it was okay to talk about my quadrant with Dualscar? That wasn’t right. I thought you had restraint…” she hissed.  
“I am aware I did wrong. I was just very surprised that you were with such a noble seadweller. I apologize for upsetting you,” he says bowing his head.  
“Well, I appreciate that you are sorry, but you can’t just tell people that,” she sighs.  
“I only told Nepeta, she must have talked to others about it. I was saying how I was proud of what you’ve become.”  
“Proud?” she asked confused.  
“I was always upset with you because you had so much potential, but you wasted it away being harsh and 100d, but you have proved to me that you can change so I am proud of you. You have matured.”  
“I am confused. What does this have to do with Dualscar and me?”  
“Well if a noble sea dweller could care for you and love you then you truly must have changed. He sees good in you and I would like to see it too. If he can find respect and love in his heart for you, then I want to be able to respect and care about you too. I want to be your friend and protect you because it is what the noble desires,” he replied.  
“Oh well thank you I guess, but you really don’t have to look out for me,” she replied.  
“Well I can help make you STRONGER so you can one day face Mindfang,” he states.  
“Like…. Give me robot body parts or something?” she asked confused.  
“Uhhh… I was thinking more like letting you use my work out equipment.” He sweats some. “Unless you want robot parts.”  
“Oh…” she giggles. “That would be nice. I don’t really have anything to work out with, other than running,” she replied.   
“Oh well e%cellent. You are welcome to stop by whenever you wish. I would like to help you whenever you need it,” he states.  
“Oh well thanks Equius. I appreciate it,” she says. “I am surprised you are being so nice to me. I thought you thought I was evil or something.”  
“I know you were never evil like the others said you were… I remember when you were kind… That was before you had to kill for Spidermom… You just were broken after that… You became dangerous… I didn’t want you to hurt Nepeta… So I grew cautious… Now… I think you are finally moving on. You’ve realized the bad you’ve done, and you are STRONGER for knowing that.”  
She nods looking down some. “One day at a time.”  
“The days will add up and eventually you will be the STRONGEST you can be,” he says.  
Equius looks over her shoulder growling as he sees some man trying to enter Vriska’s hive. “Intruder!”   
Vriska looks of snarling, “Who the fuck are you?!”   
The man took off in a sprint towards the shore dropping a box on the front porch. The Serket chases after him down the walk way to the beach, but unfortunately the perpetrator jumped on a small motor boat and zooms away into the horizon. Vriska pants lightly walking back up the pathway to Equius, who was holding the long box.   
“He dropped this,” Equius says handing it over.  
“I wonder who that guy was,” she huffed looking at the box. “What’s this? Hmmm there’s a note.”  
‘You’re next~!’ the note read. She scowls at that. “Creepy.”  
She slowly opens up the box and looks inside before screaming. She drops the box on the ground, a severed arm rolling out, a familiar bear tattoo on the flesh. She hunched over shaking some before vomiting on the ground in horror and disgust. Tears well up in her eyes and she runs into her hive going to her husktop. Equius looks at the arm in disgust before chasing after the horrified girl. Vriska managed to connect with Dualscar in a video chat, but when he saw her she was panting and hyperventilating.  
“VWRISKA! Wvhat’s wvrong?!” he shouts.  
Equius comes up behind her concerned. “Vriska?”  
“W-where is your f-f-first mate?” she whimpers.  
Dualscar goes quiet for a moment before looking her in the eyes. “Wvhy are ye askin’?”  
“I-I h-have his…his arm…” she cries.  
“Vwriska… I screwved up… Mindfang vwisited me… and I didn’t kill her…” he sighs.  
“W-where is he?” she mutters.  
“She gavwe me his head…”


	29. Spirit of Vengeance

“I am sorry Vwriska… I should havwe killed her…”  
“She is sadistic and insane… You can’t just let that woman get away anymore…” Vriska sighs looking at Dualscar through the husktop screen. “I am not mad at you though… I know the Mindfang you knew was different… but- but that Mindfang is dead Dualscar. You have to understand that!… You can’t slip up like this again… You can’t spare her again… Please… Kill her when you have the chance…”  
“She knowvs wvhere ye livwe nowv… Ye need to find a safer place to stay… Next time she could attack ye… Ye need to stay safe…” he pleads.  
“No! I am so sick of being scared and running away from what I can’t handle… I hate living my life in fear like this… I am going to get help…”  
“From wvho…”  
“Well, back at the palace the Condescension told me I should enlist the help of the Grand Highblood. He coul-“  
“NO! Vwriska wvhatevwer ye do, do not go near that man. He is merciless and he wvill kill ye! He wvill see ye as a play thing and tear ye limb from limb!” he yells.  
“But he could easily capture Mindfang for us! He has his mercenaries everywhere. We could easily get word of where Mindfang is! He can help us, Dualscar!” she shouts back.  
“Vwris… Don’t! Ye wvill get hurt… Please… I can’t stand to let that happen… Wve can handle this ourselvwes… Wve wvill do fine wvithout help… Please… Don’t go near that man… I am beggin’…” he sighs his fins drooping.  
“…. Fine. I won’t…” she mutters softly.  
“Okay. Please get some rest and be safe. I wvill be back in a fewv wveeks… I lovwe ye, Vwriska… Remember that…” he stated.  
“Love you too… See you soon enough… Bye…”  
With that she closed her husktop and stared out the window with a stern look in her eyes. She stands up and grabs a back pack beginning to pack it with supplies for a trip. Equius looks at her concerned and grabs her shoulder as gently as he could, stopping her from moving.   
“What are you doing?” he asks in a soft tone.  
“Packing for a trip. I am going to see the Highblood,” she stated.  
“Dualscar said not to,” he grunted.  
“I am not going to sit around and wait to be killed, Equius,” she snarled.  
“That doesn’t mean you have to go out and get killed,” he sighs.  
She sighs, “I am not going to stand by and let people I care about get hurt by her without doing anything.”  
“I understand that, but if I were you, I would listen to your matesprit…”  
“Equius… You know I was never good at listening…” she chuckles sadly. “Do you know where Gamzee is? He has been to his Ancestor’s place, hasn’t he?”  
“He is probably in his hive eating sopor as usual. He is a highb100d… He shouldn’t act that way!” he groaned.  
“Okay. Good,” she says grabbing her sword.  
“Let me come with you if you are so insistent on going,” he replied.  
“No. This is something I want to do on my own… I only need Gamzee to get me there,” she states slinging her bag over her shoulder.   
“But I cannot in good conscious let you get hurt,” he huffed.  
“Fine if you want to do something for me you can watch my place. Keep an eye out for intruders,” she says heading towards the door.  
“You will be back sooner than a sweep, right?”  
She chuckles, “Didn’t know you had a sense of humor.”  
He sighs softly, “I know it is in your nature to be reckless, but please do refrain from that. You may not think so, but we would be sad if you got hurt again…”  
She stops glancing over her shoulder. “Well… tell them not to worry.”  
Vriska walks out the door and heads down along the beach over to Gamzee’s hive. She scowls at the litter around his hive, looks like Gamzee hadn’t changed too much over the sweeps. She steps over a few discarded faygo bottles in the sand and knocks gently on the door. After waiting a few moments without getting a reply she took it upon herself to open the door and barge in.   
“Hey Gamzee. You in here?” she called out.  
She steps in the hive, her shoe landing right into a tin of old sopor slime. A scowl crossed her face as she shook the slime off her shoe and continued walking into the hive. The hive was in a rather sloppy state and had a weird musky odor to it, Gamzee was never really one for cleanliness. Too focused on searching for the lazy clown, Vriska didn’t notice she was about to step on a horn. Hearing the loud honk made her jump up in a startle manner and crash down on large pile of horns.  
“WeLl HeY tHeRe SiS,” Gamzee chuckles his head popping out from under the pile.  
“What the fuck are you doing?” she snarled.  
“JuSt ChIlLiNg SiS… bEcOmInG oNe WiTh ThE hOrNs. YoU sHoUlD tRy It,” he says with a laid back smile.  
“Yeah maybe some other time…” she scoffs standing up, dusting herself off. “I need your help.”   
“WhY mE sIs?” he asks crawling out of the pile.  
“You know how to get to the Grand Highblood’s place, right?” she asks looking over at him.  
“YeAh, BuT yOu DoN’t WaNt To Go ThErE…” he mutters.  
“Why?”  
“He’S a ScArY mOtHeR fUcKeR…”  
“I need to talk to him… Can you show me the way to get there?” she asks walking up to him. “Please. I need your help…”  
“I cAn’T sHoW yOu…” he mutters fiddling with a horn.  
“Why not?” she huffs.  
“BeCaUsE i WiLl GeT iN tRoUbLe… He DoEsN’t WaNt StRaNgErS kNoWiNg WhErE hE lIvEs … EsPeCiAlLy A sErKet…” he replied.  
“Damn it!” she growls.  
“SoRrY sIs…” he mutters. “WaNt A fAyGo?”  
“No… there has to be something… What if you blind fold me and take me there yourself?” she asks.  
“I dOn’T tHinK jUsT a BlInDfOlD wIlL wOrK…”  
“Why not?” she snarled.  
“YoU aRe ThE kInD oF sIs WhO iS iMpaTiEnT… I kNoW yOu WiLl PeEk…” he replied.  
She huffed, “I promise I won’t…”  
“I cAn’T rIsK iT… He GeTs MaD eAsIlY…”  
She groans sitting down on the horn pile causing a loud honking sound. “Fuck.”  
“I hAvE aN iDeA…” he says grabbing a fresh pie in a tin. “EaT tHiS…”  
“Uh. No way… That stuff will rot my brain…” she hissed.  
“YoU wIlL bE oUt oF iT… YoU wIlL hAvE nO iDeA aBoUt AnYtHiNg…” he says holding out the pie.  
“Won’t I end up like… you?” she asked cautiously taking it.  
“OnE tImE nEvEr HuRt….” He chuckles.  
“Fine. If this gets me to the Grand Highblood…” she replied.  
Vriska looks down at the tin, swishing the thick green sopor slosh around in a circle. She gulps lightly putting the tin to her lips, drinking some of the slime. The taste was horrible and she almost wanted to puke, but that was before she felt her mouth go numb. Her movements became slow and she turned to look over at Gamzee. He was so colorful and blurry, then it all went black.   
When she opened her eyes she saw an ocean that was a mix of all the blood colors in a beautiful display of what one might refer to as a rainbow. She cupped some of the liquid in her hands, watching as it squirmed to her touch and begin to fly upwards towards the sky. She looks up at the sky watching the clouds shake and distort into three figures of people. The first was the cerulean girl she had killed on Dualscar’s ship with a sword in her chest, another was the doctor holding his own severed head, and the last was the first mate, chopped into pieces. Cries of the wounded could be heard, blinded teal bloods, crippled rust bloods, dying burgundy bloods, all screaming, wailing in agony.   
This was all her fault, it was always her fault. She was evil! She was a monster, finally being hunted down and torn apart by the humble villagers whose lives she plagued like a filthy disgusting disease. She was a disease, a virus, infecting everyone she came into contact with. The figures in the clouds dissipated and two large eyes opened up staring down at her. A metallic hand reached down and grabbed her, lifting her up into the sky before slamming her down on a rocky shore. Everything went black, again.  
“What do you think you are doing, wriggler?” a shrill female voice asked.  
“Huh?” Vriska groaned.  
“I told you if you ssssleep too long you will end up dead,” the voice hissed.  
Vriska slowly opened her eyes, everything a bit blurry. “Who said that?”  
“I am hungry… I told you thissss would 8e your fate if you failed to feed me…”  
“Feed you?” she gasps her eyes widening.  
“YOU ARE A FAILURE… THE ONLY GOOD YOU CAN DO ISSSS 8Y 8EING MY MEAL!!!” the voice screamed.  
The face of Spider Mom appeared in front of Vriska’s, drool dripping from the fangs before lunging towards her. The blue blood woke up on a black stone beach panting heavily, and clutching her chest. She looks around seeing the sea out past the beach in front of her and a large black and purple palace behind her. With a long sigh she stands up, making sure she had all her gear on her.  
“I am so sick of having nightmares….” She mutters walking towards the palace.  
After knocking a few times with no answer she decided to enter slowly and carefully. This wasn’t a smart move, and she knew this but she had to continue her quest. She grits her teeth at the amount of blood everywhere; the sight just sent chills down her spine. She shook her head trying to rattle off nerves, she had to remain calm because a primordial behemoth like the Grand Highblood would only go into a frenzy if he could sense fear from her. She walked down a long dark hallway looking at the dried blood splatters in slight awe. She had always thought she was a terrible murder for luring all those innocent trolls to be devoured in the jaws of an enormous spider, but this mad man had one upped her by a long shot.  
The atmosphere was rather ominous with heavy air that felt like a ton of bricks and death literally clung to the walls. She soon approached the throne room, but it was empty with no sign of a gigantic murderous clown troll in sight. Walking up to the throne she touched the seat, feeling that it was still warm. Either he had just left before she entered the palace or he was somewhere near by lurking in the darkness which made her uneasy. She turned around seeing a giant spiked club about to slam down on her skull, however she just barely dodged it, a sharp spike grazing her left cheek. Her instincts told her to run, but her feet wouldn’t move, as if she was stuck in dried cement. He goes to strike again and with pure adrenaline she managed to dash into a long corridor, with columns lined against the wall, hearing the giant troll chase after her. She sees a larger pillar quickly hiding behind it just before the Highblood entered. He stopped smelling the air, a loud rumbling growl coming from his gut.  
“OH LITTLE GIRL…. Where did you go? NO ONE ENTERS MY HIVE WITHOUT PERMISSION! Come out and I will make your death quick. YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD TRESPASS WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES!? Why did you enter to begin with? ARE YOU TRYING TO COMMIT SUICIDE?! Come out and I can help grant that wish…” he snarls.  
Vriska’s hands shook, but she quickly balled them into fists. Spider Mom was right about one thing, don’t show fear, especially to the ones who want to kill you. She grits her teeth knowing she was in quite the predicament; she had to play this smart. She quietly reached in her bag and grabs an eight ball out of it before peeking around the corner. The Grand Highblood was slowly walking down the corridor smacking each pillar with his club.  
“COME OUT. Come out. WHEREEVER YOU ARE…” he snarls.   
When he wasn’t looking she threw the eight ball in the other direction making a loud sound as it hit the floor and shattered. The Highblood growls running after the sound giving her the chance to sneak down the hall, hoping there was a way out. She quickly turned a nearby corner, however she froze realizing she had entered an execution chamber.   
“Well well well you have seemed to make a wrong turn… OR WAS IT THE RIGHT MOTHER FUCKING TURN,” he snarled grabbing her shoulder tightly.   
“Wait… wait… I came here to talk to you…” she gasped.  
“Talk? WHAT WOULD A MOTHER FUCKER LIKE YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT?” he roars.  
She pulls away and turns to face him, slowly backing up against a bloody butcher’s table. “Well, I have a favor to ask.”  
“Favor? WHY THE FUCK WOULD I HELP YOU?” he growls grabbing her by the neck.  
The behemoth hoists her up off her feet causing her to gag and gasp for air just from the sheer pressure and strength of his one hand. She grips at his wrist clawing it some before letting go of it realizing that would be useless. Vriska then reached for her sword, pulling it out of the sheath before swinging it at him. If she was going to die she wasn’t going to die without scathing him. The Grand Highblood grabbed the blade with his free hand, stopping it in mid-swing. He narrowed his eyes feeling a stinging sensation on his palm causing him to look down and see blood drip from it. He huffs dropping the smaller female and the blade to inspect the gash on his palm.  
He growls glaring evilly at her, “You fought back…”  
She sits up coughing, “W-what?”  
“YOU FOUGHT BACK!” he roars.  
Vriska hissed grabbing her sword and pointing at him. “Yeah… so?”  
“No one has ever fought back. THEY ALL COWER LIKE MAGGOTS. I misread you, little wriggler,” he huffed.  
“What are you talking about?” she asks panting as she slowly stood up.  
The indigo blood grunts leaning in and grabbing her chin roughly. He runs his large thumb across the cut on her cheek smearing the blood cobalt blood dripping from it. She pulls away some slightly uncomfortable from being touched by his large rough hands. He stares in her eyes for a long time before stepping away, his own rage subsiding.  
“You are in a lot of pain aren’t you?” he asks picking up his club.  
“What?” she asks hesitantly sheathing her sword.  
“I can see it in your eyes. They tell a story of pain and sorrow… A little young to be tortured by your own personal demons aren’t you?” he chuckles lightly.  
“How do you know?” she asks slowly approaching him.  
“I kill people for a living… I know what personal demons are like…. You said you had a request. I am fucking curious now. Talk to me in my throne room,” he growls walking off.  
Once he left the room Vriska took a moment to collect her thoughts and tried to figure out what just happened. He just spared her and not only that, he was actually going to hear her out. She hoped that this wasn’t some cruel joke and began to walk back into the throne room. She looked at the rubble from the pillars he had knocked down in just single blows, and thought how that could have been her. She returns to the throne room seeing the large man was sitting upon his throne, tending to the gash on his palm.  
“Uh… Sorry I made you destroy those pillars I guess…” she mutters not sure how to begin this conversation.  
“Doesn’t matter… I destroy that shit at least once a week… Sure it pisses off the people who clean my messes, but what the fuck are they going to do? Quit? They know what happens if they quit,” he laughs darkly.  
“Oh um… okay…”  
“Now the little Serket is all quiet… What happened to the crazy motherfucker who cut opened the palm of the Grand Highblood?” he huffed resting his face in his uninjured hand.  
“You know I am a Serket?”  
“Who can’t tell with fucking horns like that? Those motherfuckers are one of a kind for sure… So are you going to stand there and waste my fucking time or are you going to tell me what you want? IT IS VERY RARE I ACTUALLY WANT TO LISTEN TO SOMEONE SO DON’T MAKE ME CHANGE MY MIND!” he growls.  
“Oh… Well you see I have been betrayed by … well… my own ancestor… Mindfang,” she says softly.  
“I FUCKING HATE HER! SUCH A GOD DAMN PAIN IN MY ASS! FUCKING WITH MY MOTHERFUCKING BUISNESS. FUCKING CUNT THAT’S WHAT SHE IS,” he rants slamming his fist down before realizing what she was talking about. “Wait… betrayed you? You are her blood. WHY THE FUCK WOULD SHE DO THAT? YOU MUST BE LYING! I DON’T LIKE BEING LIED TO.”   
“No I am not… The woman turned me into a slave and I want to stop her before she hurts anyone else…” she replied.  
“What all did she do? I am fucking curious… Did she beat you? Hurt you? Whip you? Put a little bitch in her place?” he chuckles trying to get a rise out of her.  
Vriska grits her teeth trying to keep cool. “All you need to know is she did me wrong.”  
“Hmmmm…” he grins evilly. “Did they touch you? A bunch of hungry greedy men… She didn’t protect you like you thought she would?” he chuckles.  
“Shut up!” she screams holding her head. “I-I don’t want to think about it! I just want to see her dead. I want to cut her fucking head off!” She growls.  
He chuckles, “That bad huh? Why do you want my help?”  
She sighs, “Well the Empress told me to talk to you… Maybe you could capture her if you or your people see her…”  
“And why do you want me to capture her? Why not kill her? That is basically what I do for a living. Execution,” he says smirking softly.  
“Because I want to be the one to cause her last breath…” she hissed.  
He laughs loudly, the ground rumbling some. “Excellent… Such a vicious broken hearted little girl… I love seeing rage blossom from betrayal… I want to see you win tiny spider, which is rare…”  
“Wait… You are going to help me?” she asked a bit shocked.  
He grunts yawning loudly, “I got nothing better to mother fucking do...”  
“Wow… this… this turned out better than I thought…” she muttered.  
“HM?” he grunts looking down at her.  
“No offense but I thought this would be like dealing with a beast… didn’t expect you to act as…. Civil,” she chuckles nervously.  
“That’s how most mother fuckers view me…. I guess it is what to be expected… I take after our feral ancestors more than most… I am larger and more aggressive than the others… I am a scary guy… One reason I got this position…” he shrugs.   
“Growing up I always thought I was scary and tough…. I am getting proven wrong more and more each day…” she mutters.  
“That’s life…” he growls. “By the way how did you get here?”   
“Oh your descendant brought me here…Don’t get mad at him… I honestly have no idea where this place is…”  
“Ugh Gamzee I assume… Idiot could be a proud powerful subjugglator, but he eats way too much of the pie… It is supposed to be used for visions, but he eats it for fun,” he grumbles.  
“Sopor… I had some… I didn’t like it, but that’s how I got here without knowing where I am…”  
“What did you see?”  
“A bunch of colors… then regret,” she sighs.  
“It’s different for everyone,” he replied shrugging. “Sometimes it is memories, sometimes it is a bunch of symbolic nonsense.”  
Vriska nods sighing softly as she rubbed her hand on her cheek. At least the little cut won’t leave a scar, that is the last thing she needed, but then again, she could match Dualscar. Thinking about the Ampora made her start to think about the Highblood’s anger towards him.   
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” she asks looking up at him.  
“What?’ he groans.  
“Why do you hate Dualscar?” she asks.  
“UGH! HE’S A POMPUS ASSHOLE WHO ONLY CARES ABOUT GETTING NOOK,” he shouts.   
“What do you mean?” she looks at him.  
“We were once friends… long long ago when we were little wrigglers… but the minute a pretty little female gave him attention he treated me like shit, like he was royalty that deserved the finest treatment…” he scoffs before laughing. “Then I grew big and he feared me… because he knew… I would rip his blood pusher out of his chest with my bare hands if given the chance!”  
She sighs, “He’s different now…” She wasn’t really trying to convince him, but herself.   
He snarls, “HOW DO YOU FUCKING KNOW?”  
“… He saved me from her… He denounced his black lust and began to take care of me… He isn’t perfect… but he is trying…” she says.  
He scoffed, “Sure he is.”  
“… Could you try not to kill him anymore?” she asks, knowing she was overstepping some.  
“ASKING ANOTHER FAVOR?! Fine… only if you do me something…”  
She gulped some, her brain racing with thoughts of what he could want. “Yes?”  
“Tell me a joke…” he says with a wicked grin.   
“Oh… alright… I can try…”  
“You better make me laugh… or else… Now say something funny…” he chuckles.  
“My mental health,” she scoffed without thinking.  
“Damn, that’s dark,” he replied laughing.  
“Oh… Um… does that count?”  
“Nah. Come on a real joke….”  
“Okay…” she says thinking. “So… I chopped of Mindfang’s left arm, but it’s okay… She’s all right now,” she says giggling some.  
He rolls his eyes smirking some, “Alright… Cheesy… but alright… You seriously chopped her arm off…”  
“Yeah…” she says still laughing lightly.   
“Hm. I’ll leave that idiot Dualscar alone… BUT IF HE DOES ANYTHING TO PISS ME OFF I WILL KILL HIM…” he roared.  
“Please don’t,” she mutters softly.  
The Highblood glared down at her and let out a loud huff. “I got to get you home… Don’t I?”  
The little blue blood nods slowly. “Yeah…”  
“Wasting my whole mother fucking day, sis… I will have a worker take you home…” he yawns stretching out.  
“Thank you so much,” she says smiling lightly.  
“Yeah yeah. Piss off, you little brat,” he grumbles.  
Vriska was escorted home by a sketchy indigo blooded ne’er-do-well wearing ragged clothes, and the skull of some poor low blood as a mask. All though she was a bit uncomfortable on the trip home, she was happy she was getting one step closer to ending this living horror story. Once at the docks she could feel the stares of her peers in the distance. It was almost as if they didn’t think she was coming back this time. The indigo worker quickly left returning to the black rock island and Vriska began to walk to her hive. She was soon stopped by Eridan.  
“Wwhere havve you been?” he hissed.  
“Oh, you are talking to me again?” she scoffed.  
“Cut the shit, Vvris. You wwere gone for a wweek!!!” he shouts.  
“Wait really? … I am never eating sopor again,” she mutters.  
“You are fuckin’ eatin’ sopor noww too?! Wwhat the fuck is a matter wwith you!? YOU’VE COMPLETELY CHANGED,” he shouts.  
“Shut the fuck up. As if you care! You refuse to talk to me ever since you found out I am red with Dualscar! Ohhhh big wooop! I’m fucking your ancestor! DEAL WITH IT! BE HAPPY THAT HE’S THE ONE THING KEEPING ME FROM THROWING MYSELF OVER A CLIFF!” she screams.  
“If I didn’t care about you I wwouldn’t be comin’ to see wwhere you’vve been! AND I AM MAD ABOUT DUALSCAR BECAUSE YOU LIED TO ME! YOU FUCKIN’ KEPT IT A SECRET WWITH NO CARE ABOUT HOWW IT WWOULD AFFECT ME! THANKS TO YOU I CAN NEVVER HAVVE A PROPER RELATIONSHIP WWITH HIM!” he shouts.  
She chuckles running her hand through her hair. “See I haven’t changed completely… I am still an asshole, who fucks everything up.”   
Vriska pushed him out of her way and went up to her hive seeing Equius standing in the doorway. “Everything go well…?”  
“Yes, but I still fucked up,” she says.  
“What do you mean?” he asked following her.  
“… Nothing,” she sighs grabbing some rum from the kitchen.  
“Dualscar had been blowing up your husktop… I finally answered him…”  
She drinks groaning loudly, “What did you say?”  
“I told him what you were doing… I would never lie to him,” Equius replied.  
“Just… Great…” she takes a big drink.  
“That isn’t good for you, Vriska,” he says.  
“Well, I have never been one for making good choices now have I, Equius?!” she scoffed.  
Vriska looks at the bottle of rum and sees the reflection of herself in the glass. She had dark circles around her eyes, she had no makeup on and the cut on her cheek was dark blue from irritation. She tears up some, closing her eyes tight, tears welling up once more. Crying just came so naturally to her now and deep down inside she was disgusted by it. She was doing all this work to become stronger, but she was weakest she’s ever been.  
“… Thanks for everything, Equius…” she mutters. “Please leave… I need to think…” she sighs pinching the bridge of her noes from under her glasses.  
“Come to me if you need anything… Okay?” he says.  
“Please go… We’ll talk later…”


	30. Snake Eyes

Vriska was sitting on a piece of driftwood on the beach early in the morning, watching as the sun rose over the water. She leans in taking a bite from a sandwich she had, chewing on it slowly as she admires the view. Her hair was up in a long ponytail, and she was dressed a sweat stained tank top and shorts. She’d been up for a few hours now running along to beach, taking laps along the shore, and doing basic stretching. She was now just enjoying the feel of the sweet ocean breeze and the sounds of the waves crashing. Being on land for so long was leaving her a bit agitated, she missed the sea and wish she’d could go back to it. She looks up from her food at someone standing next to her.   
“CAN I JOIN YOU?” Karkat asked softly.  
The blue blood doesn’t answer, but merely just scoots over allowing him to take a seat beside her. She puts her sandwich to her lips and takes another bite from it to satisfy her hunger. Her eyes were fixated on the shimmering waves as they gently crashed into the sand.   
“ARE YOU OKAY?” he asks.  
Vriska just gives a small nod in response.  
“YOU HAVE BEEN UP EARLY EVERY MORNING RUNNING,” he says.  
“Is it so wrong to get some exercise?” she asks looking over at him.  
“NO… I GUESS NOT… BUT WE WORRY,” he mutters.  
“What are you doing up so early?” she replied.  
“I HARDLY SLEEP TO BEGIN WITH… YOU KNOW THAT,” he sighs.  
“Funny how the fear still holds you, huh?” she says taking a bite from her sandwich.  
“DO YOU GET ENOUGH SLEEP?” he asks.  
She swallows her food before shrugging. “Never have to begin with. Between fearing I would be eaten, cursed to see the dead, and now… all this… I prefer to stay awake. My dreams are plagued by nightmares anyways… Disgusting monsters and memories telling me why I should be dead… Why my existence is nothing more than burden on everyone I meet… Not even the slime helps. I prefer being tired than tortured.”  
“YOU KNOW THOSE NIGHTMARES ARE FUCKING BULLSHIT RIGHT?” he huffed  
“Yes. I know that… but a part of me struggles with the thought that there has to be some truth behind what they tell me… what they scream to me… There has to be a reason behind them…” she sighs softly. “No matter how much I run… It still follows.”  
“YOU’LL GET THROUGH THIS… YOU KNOW THAT. EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN BE THE FUCKING BITCH THAT YOU ARE… YOU ARE STILL VRISKA! STILL A BADASS! STILL SOMEONE WHO DESERVES A CHANCE…” he replies.   
She chuckles looking at him. “I remember when you would message me in the middle night… Your insomnia was terrible… You were so scared of Crab Dad attacking… No wonder you were so cranky…”  
“FUCK YOU….” He laughs. “YOURS WAS PRETTY BAD TOO… NO WONDER YOU WERE SUCH A BITCH…”  
She sighs looking out at the sea. “I am just trying to survive.”  
“HOW IS EVERYTHING WITH ERIDAN?” he asks.  
“He is stubborn, angry, narrow minded, but he is talking to me, so I think he is finally being understanding… or pitying me,” she replied.  
“AND WHAT ABOUT DUALSCAR?” he asks.  
“I haven’t answered his messages… I know he’s pissed off at me for disobeying his wishes… but I know deep down inside he has to be grateful,” she mutters.  
“YOU THINK THE GRAND HIGHBLOOD WILL ACTUALLY INFORM YOU ABOUT MINDFANG?” he replied.   
“Well he didn’t kill me so… Even if he doesn’t… I guess I should be happy about that,” she chuckles sadly.  
Karkat looks over seeing a familiar greaser fish looking at them from a distance. He snarls a lip shuddering some as he looked back to the young girl. She looks over to him, her eyes meeting his with puzzlement.   
“What’s wrong?”  
“CRONUS IS WATCHING US… I DON’T LIKE THAT GUY… HE CREEPS ME OUT,” he groaned.  
“He isn’t so bad when you get to know him... he is actually a pretty good guy,” she replies smiling some.  
“UGH… HE IS A PERVERT… HE MAKES ALL THE GIRLS UNCOMFORTABLE… SURPRISED YOU ARE OKAY WITH SOMEONE LIKE… THAT,” he mutters.  
“After the types of men I dealt with over the past sweep, Cronus is nothing more than a little flush hungry wriggler… He wants to feel a warm touch and be cared about… but he would never forcefully take that from anyone… Sure he gives strong hints about what he craves, but he would never hurt anyone on purpose… other than himself…” she huffed.  
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?” Karkat replied furrowing his brows.  
She stands up dusting breadcrumbs and sand off her body. “It doesn’t matter…”  
“SO, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?” he asks standing up.  
“Equius is waiting for me…” she replied stretching her arms up.  
“FOR WHAT EXACTLY?” he asks.  
“He is going to teach me a few things about robotics so I might be able to improve my weaponry…”  
“YOU MEAN THE EXPLOSIVES?... YOU ARE BUILDING DOOMSDAY DEVICES AGAIN?” he mutters.  
“Yep!” she states before running off.  
Karkat sighs shaking his head some with slight disappointment, but he couldn’t stay too mad. He knew there was a war coming and he could understand why Vriska wanted to be properly prepared, but building bombs could put everyone at risk. He only hoped she knew what she was doing without letting her emotions influence her actions.  
“Morning Vriska. Come in. I have some milk if you want some,” Equius says softly.  
“I will just have water, if that’s okay…” she says entering the highblood’s hive.  
“Yes of course,” he replied closing the door behind them.  
After a few hours, Vriska sat down on a chair wiping some grease off her hands with an old tattered towel. She grabs a glass of water off a nearby table and took a small sip wetting her dry throat. The other blue blood approached her taking the towel from her to wipe his own hands with.  
“So, when is the noble returning?” Equius asks.  
“In a week or so… I honestly have no idea… He seemed a bit annoyed with me, because I disobeyed his orders… but he needs to remember I am not his worker anymore… I am his matesprit and I need to make my own mistakes…” she replied.  
“He just wants you to be safe… you know that… It is like how I am with Nepeta,” he states.  
“Yeah, but you don’t bend Nepeta over a pailing platform and make her cry out your name,” she scoffs.  
Equius’ face flushes up brightly and he begins to sweat profusely. “Vriska that is completely 100d. Don’t bring that kind of vulgarity into my hive. I thought you were passed this immature behavior.”  
“Ugh… Don’t scold me… Everyone has been doing that lately… It was a joke… Relax…” she groans taking a sip from her glass.   
“Still… I don’t like that type of language,” he huffed wiping sweat from his face.  
There was a knock on the door alerting the two blue bloods, and drawing their attention in that direction. Equius walks over opening the door to see Eridan standing there looking a bit annoyed. The blue blood furrowed his brows at the sea dweller before Vriska came and pushed him out of the way.  
“What do you want, Eridan?” she snarls crossing her arms.  
“Your lovver is back. Seems pissed,” he replied before walking off.  
She looks out towards the docks seeing the massive ship docked, and the violet cladded man storming up the hill. Vriska sighs stepping back behind Equius’ so she wouldn’t be seen. He raises a brow looking down at her slightly confused by her cowering actions.  
“Shouldn’t you be happy to see him… He is your matesprit,” he states.  
“I should be… but I know nothing good is going to come from this interaction,” she mutters.  
“You can’t just hide…”  
“I know… I just need a moment to collect my thoughts before I get shouted at…”  
“You seem… scared… Don’t you love him?”  
“I love him… I also hate him… and need him… and fear him…” she sighs.  
“I… I don’t understand…”  
“I hate that I love him and I fear how much I need him… I want to be with him all the time while staying independent… I want to make him proud of me without losing sight of myself… I am scared that the fact I need him will be my undoing, and all he sees is that I am scared, so he comforts me, and the fact that he comforts me makes me need him more… which scares me… I hate him because he makes me love him,” she sighs.   
“You should go talk to him,” he states.  
“I know…”  
After a few moments of a collecting her emotions, Vriska goes over to Dualscar who was impatiently waiting at her door. He glares at her with his arms crossed snarling his lip up. She held her hands up in defense opening the door to her hive and letting him inside. He enters after her angrily slamming the door shut behind them.  
“Wvhat the hell is wvrong wvith ye?! I wvas wvorried sick! I had to rush back here to make sure ye wvere okay! I thought somethin’ bad happened to ye… I wvas afraid the Grand Highblood took yer head as a trophy…”  
“I am fine… He is going to help us,” she mutters crossing her arms. “You can calm down…”  
“Calm dowvn? Ye dragged me awvay from me duties… Wvhy didn’t ye message me?!” he yells.  
“Because I knew you were going to overreact regardless of what happened and I didn’t feel like getting yelled at by you…” she sighs.  
“Fuck… really? Wvhat are ye? A fuckin’ wvriggler Vwris?! Do I havwe to be yer fuckin’ custodian and make sure ye aren’t fuckin’ off?!” he snarls.  
“Fuck you… You got what you came here for… Go back to your duties,” she snarls turning to walk up her stairs to her bedroom.  
He grabs her tightly by the wrist preventing her from taking any step further. He narrowed his eyes glaring at her as he pulled her back down towards him. She frowns some trying to tug away from him, but his grip was too strong for her.   
“Let me go, Dualscar…” she growls.  
“I wvon’t…” he snarls yanking her closer.  
“Just go away!” she screams pulling away from him.  
“DAMN IT! I am not goin’ to fuckin’ lose ye, Rosa!” he shouts.  
She raised a brow. “Rosa?”  
“…. I meant Vriska,” he sighs.  
Dualscar pulls the littler troll into his arms and hugs her lightly burying his face in her hair. She heard him sniffle as if he was crying which caused her to go from anger to concern. She looks up at him resting her hand on his cheek with a frown.   
“Who is Rosa?” she mutters lifting his head up so she could see his face.  
“Please don’t look at me like this?” he says turning his back to her and hiding his face with his hands.   
“… It… it is okay to cry, Dualscar… I have learned crying is … normal,” she replied.  
“Not for me… I can’t be seen cryin’ I got to be the strong one! I can’t look wveak… I don’t need ye thinkin’ I can’t protect ye…” he sighs.  
“I don’t need you baring that burden yourself… I can protect myself too… I am capable of that you know?” she sighs. “But… Who is Rosa?” she restated.  
“Oh… wvell… she wvas me first real lovwe… or wvhat I thought wvas real… I don’t think that may be true anymore… She wvent by Dolorosa, but she alwvays did smile some wvhen I called her Rosa…She is… no longer wvith us… Ye see… she wvas one of Mindfang’s slavwes, but I didn’t care if she wvas a slavwe… She wvas so elegant, so wvonderful, so perfect…” he replied smiling sadly.  
Vriska frowns some as he spoke fondly about his old red romance. She was honestly starting to feel very jealous about this. Did he still care for this dead woman? The thought of him loving another made her heart feel like it was ripping apart. She had given herself entirely to him, and didn’t think about love with anyone other than him. That was to be expected of her though, for Dualscar was her first real matesprit. However, being much older, Dualscar was much more experienced in this field so that made Vriska question if he truly loved her completely. Did parts of his heart belong to the women he once fell for, while she was stuck completely tangled in his web?  
The way he spoke so fondly of the Dolorosa made everything hurt. Elegant. Wonderful. Perfect. Vriska possessed none of these attributes, or at least that’s what she assumed. She knew she was far from elegant because being an ill-tempered, alcohol abusive, vengeful little bitch didn’t exactly fit that title. She didn’t feel wonderful; she knew that others only tolerated her presence. Perfect, that was a laugh, the fact that she was so jealous over his feelings for some corpse just showed how far from perfect she actually was. She sighs softly coming to realization that she was a petty, spiteful, mentally ill little thing. That would never change, no matter how much she tried to better herself.   
Vriska hated him so much for making her feel so vulnerable. No matter how much she didn’t like being under someone else’s control she was still stuck bending to the will of another. She knew he wasn’t purposefully trying to make her feel this way, but she still felt so angry. He had her in the palm of his hand controlling her with these flushed feelings she had for him. It made her feel so sick inside. She hated him so much, however she couldn’t help, but continue to love him despite it. Love was a confusing emotion, and she hated that.   
Vriska slowly pulls away from him. “You can go now? See you next time…” she mutters.  
“Vwris… are ye alright? Sorry I yelled… Ye knowv howv ovwer protectivwe I can get…” he states grabbing her hands.  
“Just go back to your ship already…” she snarls.  
“Vwris…” His ear fins droop some. “Wvhat is yer problem?”   
“YOU! You’re my problem! I… I just don’t know how to feel about you!” she shouts.  
“Ye aren’t makin’ any sense…” he replied.  
“I hate you so much…” she mumbles.  
“…Hate me? But ye said ye lovwed me… Wvhy wvould ye hate me?” he asks frowning.  
“Because I love you so much… You make me so confused and I fucking hate you for it… It… it isn’t your fault… It is my problem… Don’t think about it…” she mutters shaking her head.  
“Are ye alright?” he asks stepping a bit closer to her.   
“DO YOU STILL LOVE ROSA?!” she whimpers.  
“Rosa’s dead Vwris… She’s been dead for a long time…” he replied.  
“You called me Rosa…. That must mean you still think about her… still love her…” she growls holding her head.   
“Vwris… I killed Rosa...” he replied with a sigh.  
“You killed her?” She asks a bit shocked.  
“… I mean she asked me to, but I killed her regardless… Like I said she wvas one of Mindfang’s slavwes, but Mindfang lovwed her too… Wvhen Fang found out about me feelins’ for Rosa she took advwantage of her and tried to claim her as her owvn. After that Rosa wvas broken inside… She just lost the wvill to go on… She came to me and asked me to kill her… so I did… I wvas a different man back then… Me feelins’ for her wveren’t so innocent either… The reason wvhy it wvas so easy for me to kill her wvas because I wvas so possessivwe of her… If I couldn’t havwe her… No one wvould …” he states looking down.  
“Dualscar…”  
“I wvas a digustin’ man back then… I tried to better myself… but wvith ye… I truly lovwe ye… I might yell, get pissed, and get aggressivwe wvith ye, but I just wvant ye to be safe and happy… I don’t knowv wvhat I wvould do if ye evwer got hurt…” he says hugging her tightly. “I wvould nevwer purposely hurt ye… Evwen if ye asked me too… I just couldn’t … I wvould be so broken… Vwris… I miss Rosa… and I wvill always lovwe me memories of her, but in the end she wvas a vwictim of my aggressivwe jealousy and possession…” he sighs.  
“I … I am sorry, Dualscar…” she replied burying her face into his chest taking in a deep breath of his scent.  
He pulls her closer resting his chin on top of her head. “I lovwe ye, Vwriska… I knowv our relationship is… different… and difficult for others to understand… Difficult for evwen us to understand… But I don’t lovwe ye any less. I am not goin’ lie to ye… Our relationship is not perfect… Wvhat relationship is, other than bullshit fairy tales? Wve are goin’ to fight and wve might hate each other at times, but wve wvill move on and become a stronger couple because of it… If wve can’t handle each other at our wvorst than wve don’t deservwe to see each other at our best…”   
“I guess you’re right… That makes a lot of sense…” she replies.  
Dualscar grabs her chin and lifts it up so he could look down into her soft eyes. He smiles some pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “Stop being so sad nowv… Pretty girls shouldn’t cry…” he chuckles before sighing.   
“Stop being stressed…” she giggles with a smirk. “Handsome men shouldn’t get stressed.”  
“Ugh Vwris… I am supposed to be the corny one,” he laughs.  
“Well I think it is my turn to embarrass you now…” she replies before leaning in and nibbling on his fin.  
The seadweller’s face flushed a dark shade of violet and he lets out a soft gasp. “Vwris don’t get me excited…” he chuckles lightly.  
She smirks grabbing his hands. “Can you spend the night?”  
“I wvish, but I havwe wvork to do…” he sighs.  
“That didn’t stop you from coming over here and yelling at me,” she teases squeezing his hands. “Come on… One night won’t hurt anything. I need my matesprit here… Please? I need you here for tonight~” she states leaning in to nibble on his fin again.  
“Fuck! Ye knowv howv to control me,” he chuckles. “I guess it wvon’t hurt if I stay tonight, but I’ll leavwe first thing in the mornin’.”  
“Fine,” she giggles trying to tug him to her room.  
“Wvait let me tell me crewv…” he laughs taking her hands and putting them at her sides.  
“Alright. I’ll be in my room~” she states running off.  
Dualscar laughs shaking his head as he watched the smaller girl run off with such excitement. “Okay. I’ll be back.”   
Eridan was over at Equius’ hive, standing in his doorway as he questioned him about Dualscar’s presence. The younger Ampora wanted to know what exactly was the reason behind this visit. Knowing Dualscar was in Vriska’s hive doing god knows what with her, he figured he’d ask her neighbor to see if he heard or saw anything.  
“100k all I know is that he was mad at her so they are having some sort of dispute right now,” Equius huffed not really fond of the nosy sea dweller.  
“Wwhy wwas he mad at her?” he asks.  
“Because she went against his orders and saw the Grand Highb100d,” he replied.  
“His orders!” he scoffed. “Vvris use to nevver let anyone givve her orders! She wwould of tore them a neww one!”  
“Yes I am aware. It was rather annoying,” Equius replies getting a bit irritated.  
“He is controlling Vvris! She is so different noww!” he yells before going quiet.  
Eridan watched as he saw his ancestor stroll out of Vriska’s hive with a pleased look on his face. The younger Ampora snarled a lip, assuming the worst, as the Orphaner sauntered back to his ship. He waits till Dualscar was out of sight before quickly going over and entering Vriska’s hive without permission. Equius watched letting out an irritated groan before going back into his own hive figuring he had better things to do than get involved in a love quarrel. He knew Eridan was rather harmless so he wasn’t too concerned about it.  
After practically invading Vriska’s hive, Eridan looks around before making his way upstairs. Whenever he found her he was planning on giving her a piece of his mind regarding Dualscar. Though it was obvious he was still a bit angry and jealous regarding the relationship between the two he was also just trying to look after Vriska because he had come to the awful conclusion that Dualscar was using, abusing, and controlling her. He may have saved her life, but perhaps he was using her dependence for him to his own advantage. Even if the things Vriska was doing was pissing him off, and he didn’t like this change in her, he couldn’t let someone hurt her again. He found it suspicious the Dualscar came here to scream at her then just left with that pleased expression. What if he beat her? What if he forced himself on her? Eridan’s mind raced with awful and horrible questions and thoughts. He assumed that Dualscar was the one forcing Vriska to change into this more delicate person.  
“Vvris wwe need to ta-” Eridan called out barging into her room before pausing as he got a good glimpse of her.  
Vriska was lying on her pailing platform wearing some rather suggestive lingerie composed of black thigh high lace stockings, a blue and black corset, and rather revealing black lace panties. When she saw him barge in her face flushed dark and she immediately covered herself with a blanket. Eridan’s fins twitched some as he felt his face grow hot as a dark flush covered his face. The girl stared at him for a brief moment before she grabbed an eight ball and threw it at him with full force. He cowered some holding up his hands to block the eight ball from hitting him in the face.   
“Ow damn it Vvris!” he shouts.  
“Get out!” she yells.  
“Wwhat are you wwearing?!”   
“I- um… I… WHY ARE YOU HERE?!”  
“Did he make you wwear this?”  
“What?! No! GET OUT!” she screams blushing dark.  
Dualscar barges into the room before raising a brow to see his little descendent harassing his matesprit. He walks over to Vriska, wrapping an arm around her, before glaring down at the younger male troll in front of him. He snarled revealing his fangs in a territorial manner, being rather angered that the Ampora boy saw his matesprit in an intimate manner.   
“Wvhat the fuck are ye doin’ in here?” he growls.  
“Tryin’ to save Vvris from your abuse!” Eridan yells out.  
Dualscar’s expression grows confused at this statement. “Wvhat are ye talkin’ about? Wvhat abuse?”  
“I knoww you are controllin’ her. You havve to be! She hasn’t been the same since she met you! Wwhat are you doin’ to her?!” he yells. “I may hate her, but she wwas still my black mate! I don’t care if you are my ancestor! I … I still care about her…” he sighs.  
Vriska growls at him. “If you care about me leave me alone! I am happy with Dualscar!”  
“Vvris you changed!”  
“I know... I changed to be better! I grew up Eridan!”  
“I knoww this isn’t you… you wwouldn’t just change to be better…. This is his doin’!”  
“You are just mad that I got close to Dualscar instead of you! You inspired of being the Orphaner, but I took your idol away from you before you even got to know him! You are also mad that I left you for him! You are just being a brat and taking it out on us! I didn’t mean for this shit to happen… Neither of us did… You got to understand that and give us a break!” she shouts.  
Eridan frowns gritting his teeth some before tearing up. “Twwo people I cared about decided to be wwith each other! I didn’t even get a chance to get to knoww him! … And the one person I could rant to and help me get ovver it is part of the problem… You stopped bein’ a bad ass and you just cling to MY ancestor because yours is a bitch… It is upsettin’…” he sighs.   
Dualscar puts his hands up letting out a soft sigh. “Alright… Alright… Ye twvo need to relax… Howv about ye both come out wvith me tomorrowv? Eridan, ye can see that Vwris is still a bad ass wvho can hold her owvn and I can also teach ye the Orphanin’ wvays and Vwris ye can get back to the ocean and get some air to help ye calm dowvn. I feel like ye’re a bit too pent up here…Deal?”  
“That isn’t goin’ to change the fact that you and Vwris are a couple…” the littler Ampora scoffs.  
“No. It wvon’t. Ye don’t havwe to accept it, but maybe ye can learn to deal wvith it… Perhaps ye can see howv much wve actually care about each other…” he sighs.  
“Ugh! Fine!”   
“And Vwris? Is that okay?”  
“Yeah… I guess…” she huffs.  
“Good. Nowv get out Eridan,” Dualscar states pushing his descendent towards the door.  
“Wwhy?”  
“I am goin’ to do stuff wvith her… I prefer not to havwe an audience…” he chuckles.  
“Oh cod! Gross!” Eridan yells before storming off.


	31. The Family Man

“Damn it Cro. No!” Eridan snarls.  
“I am goin’ chief. Get owver it,” Cronus chuckled blowing smoke from his cigarette in his face.  
The small Ampora gags before growling. “No! Wwhy do you evven wwant to go?”   
“I just vwanna…” he says with a smirk.  
“Fuck you, Cro. You gotta stay!”  
“Wvhat’s goin’ on here?” Dualscar asks strolling over.  
“Cro thinks he’s comin’!” Eridan shouts.  
“Wvell sure. Wvhy not?” the eldest Ampora says with a shrug.  
“Ha!” Cronus laughs tossing his cigarette to ground and stepping on it. “So vwhere is Wvris?”  
“Ugh… Some shady prick from Highblood’s cult came by… She’s talkin’ to him…” Dualscar groaned.  
It was early morning, Dualscar along with his two descendants were preparing to set out for a voyage, the young violet bloods curious to see what the life of an Orphaner is like. They were stuck waiting for the Captain’s matesprit, Vriska, who was doing business with a sketchy purple blood wearing a head dress of what appeared to be finger bones and lusus feathers. He was informing her that a few of Highblood’s minions had spotted Mindfang’s ship in the area the night before and to be ready for a possible attack.   
“Alright… Thanks for the update…Probably stalking Dualscar’s ship… We’ll have to stay on our toes once we set sail…” Vriska says before waving the man off, who quickly vanished into the shadows.  
The cobalt blood sighs a bit looking out at the calm ocean before walking over to the group of Amporas on the docks. The three glanced over at her in unison, raising brows at her upset looking demeanor. As Eridan was about to walk over to see what was wrong, like a good little friend would, he got pale-blocked by his larger predecessor who stepped in front and put his hands on the shoulders of the small female. The little seadweller snarled a lip at this, still hating the fact that his former black rom partner was involved intimately with his ancestor. This just disturbed him to his core and the thoughts of them together constantly burrowed their way into his mind.   
“Wvhat is it Vwris?” Dualscar asked softly looking down into her eyes.  
The girl shifted her gaze away from him letting out a small huff, “Mindfang is in the area… If we cross paths with her we will have to end this once and for all… but for now let’s just do our best to avoid her…” She then looks up at him and gives him a small sad smile. “I want to be able to enjoy our time together… even if they are coming…” she says gesturing to the other two.  
The large troll chuckles a bit. “Ye say that as if wve wvon’t havwe time together in the future…but of course… If we must face her wve wvill… and wve wvill do it together… All of us.”  
The Amporas and Serket soon board the ship after a few moments and get to setting sail out towards the large ocean. During the late morning the ships guests got settled in, Eridan and Cronus got private cots in the library, and Vriska stayed in Dualscar’s cabin of course. Although Dualscar’s descendants may annoy him here and there he still wanted to treat them above his crew and let them know that he did care about them by segregating them from the general sleeping quarters.   
Throughout the bulk of the day Dualscar spent time with Eridan like he had promised, and showed him proper Orphaning ways, such as a better way to position the rifle for more control, and the perfect areas to hit a lusus at. Eridan gradually stopped seeing Dualscar as the man “fuckin’” his friend and more as the teacher and ancestor he wanted. He was happy that he was actually getting to learn more about his elder and the fact that Vriska stayed out of sight most of the day was nice for it helped him avoid reminders of why he was so mad at them. However, he began to now see Vriska as the problem by getting in the way of him and his ancestor.  
Vriska spent the day showing Cronus around the ship and introducing him to some of the crew members she felt he would get along with well. Eventually Cronus would run off to go look at nudey magazines and smoke with some of Dualscar’s men. She rolled her eyes at that, but was also a bit happy for him because he had been spending most of the past sweep and a half with trolls much younger than him and now he could finally be around guys his own age that shared his interests, such as breasts, naked women, and more breasts. She wandered off to spend time with her favorite crew member, the chef, who was just happy to have his little “Vrissy” back on board. The two of them caught up and gossiped as they prepared a large lunch for the crew, making sure it was above the normal standards since the Captain’s descendants were on board.   
Soon it was time to eat and the dining room flooded with hungry men looking for something to shove in their mouths before they had to return to work. As Vriska went to sit by Dualscar she was confronted by Eridan who was trying to grab for the same chair. Eridan snarled a lip a bit at her before she snarled hers in return. Seriously? Vriska thought to herself. Is he seriously doing this territorial shit with Dualscar now?   
“Um… I normally sit here,” Vriska states.  
“I think you spend enough time wwith him,” he scoffs before sitting down.   
Dualscar looks over at the two of them having heard a dispute, but not really registering what was exactly said for he was speaking to one of his crew members. “Somethin’ wvrong? Vwriska havwe wve can get another seat…”  
“No. It is fine. I am actually just going to go sit over with Cronus and see what he is up to… We can eat dinner together…” she replied.  
“Ye sure?... I can get an extra seat…” he stated.  
“It is fine,” she grumbles walking away to go sit by Cronus.  
One of Dualscar’s crew members leans over to whisper in his ear. “You are fucked man… When a woman says it is ‘fine’… it really isn’t. I was with a gutter warmer once and I accidently broke her hip by…. Well ya know…. So, I apologized. She said it was fine… I wake up to find the crazy trying to chop off my fuckin’ bulge… I lost the tip, man… It wasn’t fine…”  
The Captain just scowled and shook his head. “Shut the fuck up.”  
“Alright. Guard your manhood…. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…” he stated.  
Vriska sits next to Cronus and the other men he was seated with at one of the regular crew tables. She didn’t really say much as she just grabbed her flask out of her back pants’ pocket and taking a drink. The Ampora breaks the conversation he was having with one of the men about how supple a human female’s breast look compared to a troll female’s before looking over at the girl.  
“Not sitting with ye boy toy today?” One of the crew member’s chuckles.  
“I am,” Vriska chuckles wrapping an arm around Cronus. “You mean this boy toy, right?” she teases.  
Cronus just flushes slightly looking at her. “Uh… Vwell… I don’t protest to this…”  
“No. The Captain…” the crew member laughs.  
“Oh. Dualscar? That is no boy toy…” she giggles before leaning in with a grin. “That’s a man~ I would know~” she snickers.  
“You’re a crazy nasty bitch. Glad to have you back on the ship,” the man laughs.  
“You know it… Good to be back. I have to keep the boys in line. Isn’t that right Cronus?” she asks patting running a hand through his hair.  
The Ampora smirks a bit. “I don’t knovw about all that, but I really like the attention I am gettin’ from you…”  
Vriska titters rolling her eyes playfully. “You ran away from me today. What did you go off to do?”  
“Oh. I got these sexy human magazines from the guys. They are called ‘Playboy’ but get this! There are no boys in them! The title is just misleadin’! Just all attractiwve naked human vwomen! Look!” He says pulling out a rolled-up magazine from his belt and showing her the pictures of the girls. “It is amazin’ hovw they can hawve so many different colors of hair other than black. Did you knovw humans hawve different skin colors too?” He says showing her a centerfold of a bunch human girls in sexy bunny costumes. “See this one is like a peachy color,” he stated pointing to a white blonde-haired woman. “Then this one’s skin is kinda like a brovwn color…” he says pointing to a colored woman. “They are all so pretty… Humans are truly amazin’ aren’t they? … Their colors are so bright and wvibrant… Hovw come us trolls only hawve dull colors until vwe get cut open?” he asks.  
She just raises a brow nodding as he spoke about his love for human women. “I am not sure about all that… I have met a few humans in my life through the internet… They are neat I suppose… Are these women prettier than me?” she teases looking up at him taking a swig from her flask.  
He chuckles wrapping his arm around her waist in a flirtatious manner. “They are really pretty… but you are beautiful in looks and personality and bein’ pretty can’t compete vwith that …”  
Vriska coughs a bit on her drink. “Damn. If you were this smooth all the time you’d have girls all over you.”  
“Yeah, but I hawve the only girl that matters all owver me right novw?” he says with a grin.  
She laughs playfully punching his arm. “Shut it.”  
Dualscar was just watching this whole interaction from a distance and just growing infuriated with jealousy. Vriska was in fact flirting with Cronus just to make her matesprit mad and keep him focused on her. However, she wasn’t doing any of this because of any anger she had towards Dualscar, she was trying to make Eridan mad. By flirting with Cronus, Vriska knew that she would get Dualscar jealous causing all of his attention to be glued to her and taking it away from Eridan. Having the eldest Ampora only caring about her would cause Eridan to become pissed off. This wrigglerish behavior Eridan and Vriska were having towards each other really mocked the petty behavior they had as kismesises. The little seadweller did become angered and just glared at Vriska from across the room, she just glared back sipping from her flask.  
After lunch Vriska started to clean up the tables with the help of the chef before she was approached by an unhappy looking Dualscar. She gazed up from the filthy plates she had in her hands to meet his eyes with hers. He crossed his arms and stared at her for a few moments before letting out a low irritated growl. She looks past him to see his little descendant watching them, peeking out from behind the door frame. The girl then looks back up at Dualscar and grins a bit putting the plates down on the table. The chef saw the confrontation about to happen and knowing how stubborn those two were when it came to arguments and disputes he just decided to escort himself to the kitchen to avoid being caught in any crossfire.  
“So… Mind explainin’ wvhy ye wvere puttin’ on that little showv durin’ lunch? … Not exactly thrilled by seein’ ME matesprit gettin’ felt up on by me owvn blood…” he huffed.  
“Oh, so you are mad at me?” she asks stepping closer.  
“Wvell… yeah… I don’t really like seein’ other men touchin’ ye in a romantic manner… Especially if ye are eggin’ it on …. And evwen more especially if it is me owvn blood! Nowv wvhy wvere ye doin’ that? Is somethin’ happenin’ betwveen ye and Cro?” he growls.  
She looks past him again to see Eridan staring intently before looking back up at him again. The girl smirks slyly pressing her body up against his causing the older man to blush faintly. She grabs at the collar of his armor and pulls him closer to her causing him to lean over so his face was close to hers.  
“I just really wanted my Captain’s attention~” she whispers in his ear fin.   
“Oh…” he replied blushing violet. “Really nowv?”  
Vriska bites her lip. “I need you~”  
He grins wide gripping her hips. “Go to me quarters … Nowv” he growls seductively in her ear.  
“No…. Right here. Right now.” She states grinding her hips into his.   
Dualscar just grins like a mad man before moving his large arm to smack the stack of plates off the table making them shatter as they hit the floor and even the wall. The large male then just picks her up before pinning the small female to the table and getting on top of her. Within moments a passionate, aggressive, and sloppy pailing session was taking place in the middle of the galley. Eridan was still watching them, but now the poor troll was just frozen in shock unable to react. The large Ampora soon looked over as he realized that someone was watching him ravaging his matesprit. When he saw that it was Eridan, he just grinned a bit as he went even faster in his thrusting motions, while not even breaking eye contact with the small seadweller. Dualscar was just displaying his alpha male attributes by doing this, just trying to show any other males in the area that Vriska was his woman, however Eridan would soon see her peeking over the large male’s shoulder with a devious smirk.   
Eridan ran off, to probably blind himself, shortly after the lovers started staring at him as their bodies intertwined with each other. After their “session”, Dualscar and Vriska panted a bit as they fixed their disheveled clothing. She kisses him softly on the lips before pressing her forehead to his in an affectionate manner. During the love making, Vriska kind of forgot it was to spite Eridan and it just became about how strong her emotions for Dualscar were, and how strong his were for her. He smiles at her placing his hands on her face just wanting to memorize how soft her skin felt in his hands, forever. He never wanted to forget the details of her face and body he had traced over with his hands and eyes many times over. He never wanted to let that go, he never wanted to let her go. Vriska just smiled at him giggling a bit as she nuzzled her face against his.  
“I love you…” she whispers pulling him into a tight hug. “Don’t ever leave me… You are the only thing that makes me feel truly happy…”  
“I’d nevwer leavwe ye,” he replied burying his face into her neck. “Evwen if I wvere to die... I wvill still hold onto ye till ye joined me in the afterlife….”  
“Let’s not talk about death… We aren’t going to die for a long time…” she giggles.   
He nods moving to kiss her forehead gently. “Ye are right,” he chuckles.  
“If ye two are done… Who is gonna buy me new plates?” The chef states walking out from the kitchen.   
Vriska just lets out a loud laugh before burying her face in Dualscar’s chest to hide her dark embarrassed blush. Dualscar runs his hand through his hair looking over at the chef with a brightly flushed face. He wrapped an arm around Vriska pulling her close to him in a loving manner before laughing with her. The chef just shook his head with a groan, a small smile on his lips. He’d be lying if he didn’t say that he was happy for them, happy that they were happy.  
“Don’t wvorry…. Wve got extras for nowv… And wvhen wve get back to port I wvill buy ye all newv plates and shit… Wve need an upgrade anywvays…” Dualscar chuckles a bit.  
Chef shakes his head before waving them off. “Alright. Get out of my dining room… I got to clean…”  
The two nodded before leaving the chef be to tend to the mess of shattered plates that they had made. Up on deck near the bow of the ship Eridan was stewing, snapping at anyone who dared to get near him. That did not stop Cronus however, and he just strolls up to him leaning against the railing of the ship beside him. He begins to spark out a cigarette before taking a large inhale of it and blowing smoke into Eridan’s face.  
“Hey Chief… Vwhat is your problem? You are kinda actin’ like a brat to ewvery one…” he states.  
“Oh. I don’t knoww… maybe the fact that I just wwatched my ancestor just start fuckin’ my former black mate on top of a table right in front of me… And I knoww she did this on purpose… Just to make me mad…” he snarls.  
“Vwell…. Vwas it hot?” Cronus asks raising a brow.  
“No CRO! It wwas not hot. It disgusts me to evven think about the twwo of them together… and just seein’ that… Seein’ him just … on top of her… and her takin’ it…. It is horrifyin’ !!!”  
“Sounds kinda hot…”  
“Fuck you, Cro…”  
“Look kid. I get this is hard for you. Tvwo people you really care about are inwvolwved vwith each other and you are feelin’ left out because you aren’t gettin’ their attention. You are jealous and enwvious… You are afraid of losin’ them, but Eridan,” Cronus says grabbing the boy’s chin causing him to look up at him. “They care about you still and you vwouldn’t be on this ship if they didn’t… If you actually do care about them then try to understand that they are happy… You vwant them to be happy, right?”   
Eridan pulls away and groans, “I just feel so conflicted… I don’t knoww howw to react to any of this… So, I respond wwith the one feelin’ I knoww best… Anger…”  
After dinner the ship was a bit peaceful, everyone just relaxing on deck and doing simple tasks. Vriska was at the wheel of the ship steering a bit before she felt Dualscar come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist. She smiles up at him as he carefully rested his chin on her head between her horns, purring lightly. She smiles a bit more reaching up to place a hand on the side of his face and rub her thumb on his cheek in an affectionate manner. Eridan just sees this from the deck and scowls in disgust, still feeling disturbed by this.  
“They really do love each other… Ye know that, right?” The chef says coming up to him.  
“Ugh… It is hard to believve…” the boy mutters crossing his arms.  
“Ye know… I have never seen Dualscar this genuinely happy in a long time… It has been sweeps since I have seen him smile like that towards anyone or anything… When he has smiled in the past the emotion behind it wasn’t all there… but now when he smiles it is real. He is actually happy… All because of some random girl he found washed ashore on a beach… Ye friend, Vriska, she has changed so many things… She’s just is an incredible special woman and Dualscar is just mad for her… and he finally deserves a woman that gets him as much as he gets her… Talk to him if ye don’t want to believe me… After hearing the way he talks about her… Ye will know it is real…” he stated before walking off.  
Eridan sighs softly before slowly making his way towards Dualscar and Vriska. When he got near Vriska just scowls a bit at him before avoiding any eye contact with him. Dualscar just raises a brow at the boy and moves his hands away from Vriska’s body and putting them at his sides.  
“I… I need to talk to you Dualscar…” Eridan states.  
“Yeah. About wvhat?”  
“All of this…” he says gesturing to the two of them. “I… I just don’t understand…”  
“Well what do you need to know?” Vriska scoffs.  
“Vvris… I need to talk to Dualscar… Man to man… Please understand…”  
Dualscar expression softens and he nods slowly. “I get it… Vwriska… stay here and man the helm,” he says kissing her cheek before turning to face the boy. “… Eridan go get Cro and come to me quarters… I feel both of ye should hear this…” He states before walking off below deck.  
Soon enough all the Amporas were congregated in Dualscar’s quarters and after closing the door the eldest Ampora sat his desk chair. Eridan took a seat on the edge of the bed while Cronus was just standing and staring at the massive bookshelf. Dualscar poured himself a glass of scotch from his desk before swiveling his chair around to face Eridan.  
“So ye wvant to knowv wvhy and howv Vwris and I are together? Howv a relationship as complicated as ours could possibly wvork?” he asks sipping from his glass.  
“I don’t understand… She is the spawwn of your enemy, she is much younger than you and…. Howw could you two ever get along?”  
“Wvell I just wvant to put this on the table first… I am not wvith her because I wvanted a young girl, nor am I wvith her because I wvant a tiny Mindfang… I truly lovwe her… Wvhen I first met her I wvasn’t exactly sure howv to feel about her… I wvas vwery cautious about her… I didn’t knowv if she wvanted to hurt me or if she wvas some sort of spy for Fang… I try to be a good person though… So, after seein’ howv damaged she wvas I wvanted to help despite me judgement. She wvas so sick. So frail… and it hurt to see this. She explained to me about wvhat had happened to her and I felt pain in me heart…. I am disgusted by sexual abuse… I find it to be the most despicable thing that ye could do to a person… and wvhen I found out that Mindfang wvas the cause of that happenin’ to her… basically nonstop for a swveep… I wvas furious…. I felt Vwris wvas nowv me responsibility…. I just wvanted to help her and make her healthy again… The poor thing hated herself, and I wvanted her to no longer feel such a wvay… She wvas so young and small I just wvanted to treat her like one of me owvn… I nevwer thought I’d find meself fallin’ for her… Evwery night I wvatched this poor broken little girl shake and scream as she suffered from night terrors. I wvatched as she livwed her days succumbed to depression, and anger, and fear…. And I didn’t wvant that for her… I havwe livwed me life like that and I didn’t wvant the same for her… I could see this light in her and all this untapped potential and I just wvanted to help her let all that out… So, I took her under me fin and I got to actually knowv her and she wvas quite a fascinatin’ and incredible girl… she wvas nothin’ like her ancestor… She made me feel young again and made me wvant to keep up wvith her … I couldn’t evwen understand the feelins’ I had towvards her…. I grewv vwery fond of her … and not evwen in a romantic manner… I just wvanted to be her friend… Someone she knewv she could trust and talk too… I promised her that I wvill nevwer let anythin’ bad happen to her,” He says before sighing a bit and pinching the bridge of his nose tightly trying to hold back emotions.  
“Is evverythin’ okay?” Eridan asks seeing as the older male started tearing up.  
“I broke me promise… As ye may remember… Mindfang kidnapped me and Vwris came to savwe me… I don’t knowv if she said this but… I had to wvatch as Vwris got... as Vwris got…” He grits his teeth gripping his glass tight. “She got fuckin’ raped in front of me… I had to wvatch it. Hear it. And there wvas nothin’ I could do to savwe her… I fuckin’ gutted the man alivwe wvho did it, but I livwe that experience ovwer and ovwer in my head and it makes me soul burn… I got her hurt because I had to go and fuck up … It is all me fault and I can nevwer forgivwe meself for that. Evwery time I see her I see howv I failed her and I just wvant to try so hard to nevwer let that happen evwer again…” he mutters sipping his drink and wiping some tears from his eyes with his wrist.  
Eridan looked at him sadly, starting to feel horrible for how he assumed Dualscar was using Vriska. He had never known that for Vriska had left that part out of the whole saving Dualscar story. He had known that she was assaulted by Mindfang’s crew, but he only thought all of that happened before she even met Dualscar. Why didn’t she tell him? If he knew that maybe he would have been a bit more understanding of the two of them. They experienced something utterly tragic together, of course they would have gotten close because of that.   
“After that I just began to need Vwris as much as she needed me… maybe evwen more…” he sighs. “I soon began to understand the feelins’ I felt wvere lovwe… I lovwed her… and wvhen I found out she had felt the same wvay I wvas speechless… I wvas shocked howv an amazin’ wvoman like her could evwer wvant a man like me… I felt I didn’t deservwe her and the first time wve tried to become intimate I wvas… scared… I couldn’t do it… I didn’t wvant her to feel obligated to do it because I wvanted it, so I pushed her awvay and told her howv wve could nevwer be,” he said before chuckling a bit. “She wvas fuckin’ mad… Wvas goin’ to run off and make it home on her owvn… I broke her little heart because I rejected our feelins’ for each other… I nevwer thought I wvould cause that by just tryin’ to do wvhat I thought wvas protectin’ her… I got her back and told her I wvould bring her home… Then… Wvell wve finally submitted to our urges… and it wvas like nothin’ I havwe evwer felt… Made me realize I had nevwer actually been in true lovwe before Vwriska…” he says taking a large drink before looking at Eridan. “Do ye understand nowv?” he asks.  
Eridan nods sadly sighing with a frown. “I am sorry, Scar… I had no idea… I nevver thought about that…”  
“Wvell… Ye’vwe pissed off Vwris more than me… so apologize to her wvhen ye get the chance…” he chuckles some. “She’d appreciate it…”  
“So, you tvwo truly are in lowve?” Cronus asks.  
“Yeah… I’d be lost wvithout Vwris…”  
“I don’t think I hawve actually seen matesprits that vwere truly in lowve… At least not as serious as this…” he stated. “Novw… I vwas lookin’ at your bookshelf and I noticed this photo album… Vwhere did you get this picture of Eridan?” he asks.  
“Huh? Wwhat?” Eridan asks walking over to look at the picture Cronus looking at.  
“Oh…. That? That isn’t him. That wvas me wvhen I wvas like… seven sweeps,” Dualscar says with a shrug.  
“You wwore glasses? You look exactly like me…” the young seadweller replied.  
“Yeah… Wvell wve are blood… Ye are goin’ to be a lady killer, boy … Just like me… Ye are gonna havwe a lot of fun in just a fewv sweeps. Trust me,” he teases winking playfully.  
Soon everyone retired to bed, Cronus and Eridan to their private beds in the library and Dualscar and Vriska to the Captain’s quarters. The two lovers curled up in each other’s arms drifting into a peaceful sleep happy to be embraced against each other’s bodies. Vriska eventually began to dream about the two of them together, causing a smile to curl on her lips as she slept.  
The two of them were on a beach just leaning against a palm tree as they watched the waves drift in and out against the sand. Vriska was cladded in a blue bikini appearing to be a bit older, even having some tattoos, while Dualscar looked the same and as dashing as usual dressed in some black swim shorts. Her head was rested on Dualscar’s chest and he had his large firm arms wrapped around her affectionately. It was a paradise, pure white sand, bright blue water, and even a cute little straw roofed hut for the two of them. Was this a glimpse into their future they would have together after the war with Mindfang ended?  
Vriska stood up holding Dualscar’s hand for a moment before she began to walk towards the hut. She told him how she was going to get them some drinks, before she began to walk her toes digging lightly in the sand as she walked, a sensation she had always loved. Once at the cabin she looks over at Dualscar blowing him a sweet kiss before opening the door to the hut and entering it. The door then suddenly slammed shut behind her and she found herself trapped in a pitch-black room.  
“What?! What is happening?” she yells trying to open the door but it wouldn’t budge.  
Soon there was the sound of something eating what sounded like raw meat coming from the middle of the room. She closed her eyes tightly refusing to open her them knowing she would see some sort of disturbing horror if she did. The sounds just grew louder and louder so she just slammed her hands over her ears so she wouldn’t have to hear those disgusting noises. Her body then felt it like the skin was getting clawed off by some monster’s hands causing her to scream out in agonizing pain.  
“PLEASE STOP!!! PLEASE!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” Vriska screams as loud as she could.  
The scratches suddenly stopped and Vriska regretfully opened her eyes to see what was happening. She turned her head to peer behind her to only see darkness when suddenly a dim light shined down in the middle of the room. Is shined down on a dark figure that was hunched over eating what appeared to be a dead body. She gulped beginning to walk towards the figure having no control over her movements now. Carefully she crept around it to see the nightmare, leaned in, gnawing away at the neck of the body. Continuing to circle the bodies, Vriska finally made it on the other side of them finally getting a clear view. Her eyes widened in horror.  
The figure was her and the body was Dualscar. Vriska covered her mouth tears streaming down her face as she watched her nightmare version rip out the intestines of her lover and began eating them like something out of an undead zombie movie. She slowly began to back up, but that was before Dualscar began to gasp and roll his eyes to look at her. He slowly reached an arm up that had a sizable bite taken out of, and pointed at her starting to let out a low blood gargling noise. The nightmare then looked up to stare at Vriska before letting out a demonic screech and lunging over the body at her. She just shut her eyes tightly and put her hands on her face finding herself frozen with fear.  
Nothing happened though and after a few moments Vriska opened her eyes to find herself on the beach again, but it was no longer a paradise. The sky was a dark gloomy grey and the sand was black as if it wasn’t sand at all but a thick ash instead. She looked at the hut that appeared to have been abandoned for sweeps being decayed and just the skeletal frame of the structure. Slowly she turned to the ocean, tensing up as large ships in bottles sailed towards the shore on grey waters. Before seconds could pass, they hit the beach, breaking, and shattering glass everywhere, slicing through her body.  
Vriska gasped waking up in a cold sweat, her body shaking violently as she looked slowly around the room. She felt her body feeling no glass embedded in her skin before looking down at Dualscar, biting her lip some. She pulled the sheets off him slowly to look over his body carefully, luckily there were no bites taken out of him. He groans a bit before gazing up at her to see her somewhat panicked expression, so he just wraps an arm around her and pulls her down towards him into an embrace.  
“It is okay…” he whispers in her ear rubbing her shoulder. “Evwerythin’ is fine… Just a bad dream…”  
“I have a feeling it is more than that this time…” she mutters.  
“It wvill be fine… I am here… I wvill alwvays be here…” he says softly kissing her temple.  
“I hope so…” she whimpers.  
Morning soon came, but Vriska didn’t really sleep throughout the rest of the night however. She was just still a bit freaked out from her dream last night and a piece of her had a feeling it was a bad omen. The two of them soon rolled out of bed and made their way out on deck where they were greeted by a dark gloomy grey sky. Vriska felt a chill run down her spine upon seeing this, this was a bad sign.  
“Hmmm, looks like it is gonna rain… I lovwe the rain…” Dualscar laughs walking toward the helm.  
Hours pass and all was well despite a bit of rain, but like Dualscar said, he loved the rain so he seemed to be enjoying himself. Vriska just lingered about at the bow of the ship keeping her head on a swivel and her sword hooked on her side as she kept an eye out for anything bad that might happen. A crew mate walked up to her and began cracking a few jokes about the snoring of the other crew members in order to cheer her up before offering her a sip from a bottle he was drinking from. Her spirit lifted a bit as she realized she was just overreacting and she smiled some as she partook in the drink. She closed her eyes putting the bottle to her lips and taking a big swig from it enjoying it before it shattered suddenly in her hands and something splattered on her face.   
Vriska’s eyes shot open looking at the broken bottle in her hand before looking up to see the crewmember with a large hole in his head. She touched her cheek wiping off what was olive blood from it. The crew mate collapsed to the floor in front of her a puddle of blood pooling around him and leaking onto her boots. She steps back in horror looking around to see a few more of the crew members fall to the floor as bullets flew through their skulls. A bullet was suddenly about to hit her before she found herself being pushed to the floor. Eridan was on top of her shielding her body with his, blood running down his arm, he had been shot.  
“E-Eridan… What is happening?!”  
“Mindfang!” he says frantically.  
“You’re hit…” she whimpers.  
“It is just the arm… I’ll livve…”  
Vriska looks over to see Dualscar and Cronus shooting at the beldam’s crew that were boarding the ship. She pushed Eridan off her before grabbing one of the downed men’s pistols and running towards the Amporas. Eridan grit his teeth standing up to go find his crosshairs that he had dropped when he had run over to save Vriska. The two Amporas, lone Serket, along with Dualscar’s men were in a full-on gun fight, but what felt like as soon as it had started the firing from the other side had stopped and they looked over to see Mindfang appearing from the smoke with a wide grin. Vriska quickly ducks behind the mast at the sight of her, and hid herself from view, she felt fear form a lump in her throat. The devil woman had her robotic arm wrapped around Eridan’s neck and a gun pointed at the boy’s head.  
“FANG!” Dualscar shouts stepping forward.  
“Stop right there!” she laughs cocking the gun.  
“This does not invwolvwe him! Leavwe me boy alone!” Dualscar snarls.  
“Well ye should have known 8etter than to 8ring him here…” she snickers.  
Dualscar takes another step forward. “Please! Let him go and face me cowvard.”   
As the two of them had their back and forth Vriska looked around frantically looking for something she could do to help. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a shiny blue item and gazed back over towards Dualscar and Mindfang. Her attention seemed pretty focused on Dualscar and Cronus, not even seeming to have spotted her yet.  
“Mindfang! Let him go nowv! This is betwveen ye and I…” he shouts.  
She just laughs a bit more jamming the gun hard into Eridan’s temple. “Why should I? Yer whole 8loodline should 8e wiped out. I am gonna 8low him away just so ye know that I truly mean 8uisness.”  
“HEY BITCH!” Vriska yells jumping out with Ahab’s crosshairs. “You’re the only one who is going to be blown away!!!” she screams.  
Vriska pulls the trigger as fast as she could, but unaware of how much kickback Eridan’s crosshairs had she flew back against the deck only managing to blow out the railing past Mindfang. However just the large blast exploding the railing was enough to disorient the evil woman. Luckily this gave Eridan the chance to break free and run into the arms of his dancestor, who pulled him behind him protectively. Dualscar charged at Mindfang, body slamming her onto the deck and the two engaged in a hands-on fight. Cronus and Eridan ran over to Vriska helping her up and checking to see if she was okay.  
“MINDFANG. THE IMPERIAL FLEET IS APPROACHING. WE HAVE TO LEAVE!!!” screamed one of her men from her ship.  
“Fuck,” she snarled as she managed to kick Dualscar off her and shuffle a bit away on her hands and knees.   
Dualscar stomped on her back with a loud snarl, “IT IS OVWER MINDFANG! ACCEPT DEATH.”  
Mindfang weakly managed lift his foot up with her robotic arm for just a brief moment so she could roll over onto her back, causing his foot slam down on her abdomen now. Vriska smiled wide seeing Dualscar standing over the monster and she broke free from the two worried Amporas to run across deck towards Dualscar. It was over finally, Vriska thought. The woman squirmed under Dualscar’s boot, gritting her teeth some to feel her something hard lodged under her back. She reached her arm around, her fingertips wrapping around the handle of her pistol.  
“No, Dualscar,” she says softly with a smirk. “Ye should do that for me instead…”  
Everything went silent except for the loud crack of a gunshot echoing in the air. Vriska stops running, her heart sinking as she just slowly walked forward a bit. Dualscar’s eyes widen a bit as he stepped back off Mindfang before he felt something hot flooding his mouth. With a shaky hand he reached up to feel a hole in his neck before coughing up a large amount of blood. Mindfang got up, stepping back as she looked at him before quickly turning around to look out at the oncoming fleet.  
“CAPTAIN WE MUST GO NOW,” her crewmate screamed tossing a rope out at her.  
Mindfang groans disappointed she couldn’t finish the rest of them, but her and her ship left quickly as they appeared. Vriska screams running up to Dualscar grabbing his arms watching as the life began to leave him. He collapsed near the busted railing his body falling overboard, bringing Vriska with him as they fell into the waters below. She gasps surfacing still holding onto Dualscar sobbing as she tried to keep him from sinking.   
“Please be a dream. Please be a dream…” she cries. “Wake me up Dualscar… Please!” she screams.  
“V-Vwris….” He says in a dying breath before his eyes rolled back.  
“NO! DAMN IT! DON’T DO THIS! YOU SAID YOU’D NEVER LEAVE ME!!!!” she screeches slapping him in attempts to wake him up.  
Dualscar’s body began to sink down causing Vriska to struggle to stay above water as she refused to let go of him. She kicks frantically trying to keep her and his body surfaced, but his armor and dead weight was more than she could hold up, especially in water. Cronus dove over board and swam over to Vriska wrapping an arm around her waist trying to pull her away.  
“WVRIS… YOU GOT TO LET GO…” he yells.  
“NO! I AM NOT LEAVING HIM! I AM NOT LEAVING HIM!” she shrieks trying to struggle away from Cronus, still holding onto the corpse.  
“WVRIS… HE’S GONE… HE’S GONE WVRIS… LET GO!!!” he yells trying to overpower her.  
“NO NO NO NO NO NO NO…” Her hands slip from the body and it quickly began to sink down her hand grasping at the strap of his crosshairs. “NOOOOOOOO.”  
Dualscar vanished within seconds under the deep seas darkness leaving Vriska clinging to just his crosshairs. She lets out a pained howl her body giving up as Cronus swam them back to the ship. The crew watched from the railing dropping their heads and just saluting their fallen Captain and his mourning matesprit.


	32. Dying of the Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read at your own risk  
> Graphic Gore Scene

“My bones slice through my skin. My neck spins around repeatedly crushing my spine over and over. Blood fills my lungs. The pain is so unbearable I lose control of my bodily functions. I feel it all. Even after I am awake. It hurts. I only want to die,” Vriska says in a monotone manner staring blankly at the T.V.  
“Vvris… You got to sleep… You got to eat… You are goin’ to die,” Eridan whimpers.  
“Good… There is nothing for me here… I feel it now… Even as we speak… I feel like I am being crushed into nothing… Can you see my meat? My intestines? Are they all spilling out? I feel them at my feet. The blood is worming between my toes…” she mutters shifting her eyes to look at them. “The couch is soaked in blood.”  
“Vvriska… You are delusional… The lack of sleep and food is makin’ you insane… Vvriska… Please…” he says tearing up. “Wwe can’t lose you Vvris… Wwe need you… I need you… I lovve you Vvris… Please… Let me help…”  
“Nothing will save me…” she replied looking back at the T.V. “Leave me to rot… NOW!”  
Vriska was wrestled onto the deck of the ship, but she kicked and screamed the entire time. Cronus pants heaving her onto the deck moving off her so she could stand, but she remained a shivering crying heap on the floor. The older Ampora bites his lip, slicking the hair back out of his face and moves to pet her shoulder. The girl just turned glaring at him before tackling the man down and wrapping her hands around his neck plunging her fingers into his gills. He lets out a sick gasp blood spurting from his neck as he reached up putting a hand on her face, trying to push her off.  
“You will pay,” she hisses.  
“VRISKA STOP!” the chef screams tackling her off him and pulling her into an unbreakable bear hug.  
Cronus pants scooting away frantically as he watched as the girl who had attacked him, his beloved friend, thrashed unnaturally in the arms of the chef. She made the most unholy of noises as she began to overpower the man who was about 300 pounds heavier than her. She grabbed his wrists, spraining them as she ripped them from her form. Two more men held onto Vriska trying to contain her and keep her from hurting anyone. She snarls like an animal continuing to fight against her friends before the tiny girl was finally subdued by five men.  
“Wwhat is happen’ to her?” Eridan yells as he went to check on his dancestor.  
“I…I don’t knovw,” Cronus says coughing up a bit of blood.  
“Are… Are you okay, Cro?...” the small Ampora whimpers.  
“Yeah… I’ll be fine… But is she gonna be?” he whispers.  
One of the men eventually knocked Vriska out with the butt of his pistol after hitting her a few times with it before gently laying her down. She convulsed a bit in her unconscious state, growling through gritted teeth. She then became still drifting into a deep slumber. The men felt horrible for having to hurt the poor girl, but she would have continued trying to kill whatever she could get her hands on.  
“I’ve only seen that in highbloods….” One man stated.  
“Seen vwhat?” Cronus asks.  
“That rage… It is called Highblood Rage for a reason… It is only supposed to happen in highbloods… Never seen it happen to a midblood…” the chef replied.  
“Highblood Rage?” Eridan asks.  
“It only happens when a troll is pushed to their limits and something… primal… snaps in them... She should be back to normal when she wakes,” a man stated.  
“Her matesprit just died… Our Captain just died… Can we be sure that she will be normal?” the chef asks.  
The imperial fleet soon came by the ship and were updated about the events that just unfolded by Dualscar’s crew. Their medics came on board treating the injured, including Eridan’s shot shoulder, Cronus’ gills, and even the bruises Vriska had gotten from being knocked out. A few imperial seadwellers had dove down to see if they could retrieve Dualscar’s body to return to the Empress, but it had sunk down into the darkest depths where even the bravest seadweller wouldn’t go. The Captain from one of ships in the fleet took sympathy on the Ampora boys and Vriska for losing their loved one and returned them home safely.   
Vriska would wake a day later finding herself strapped down in her coon causing her to panic. After a few seconds everything flashed before her, images of Mindfang attaking and Dualscar’s death flickering in her mind, causing her to sigh softly tears running down her cheeks. Eridan over at the noises and walks over to inspect her with a frown on his face.  
“Vvris…” he muttered.  
She gazes at him with a small huff. “Yeah… Why am I tied down? What happened after…” She chokes a bit starting to cry. “He’s really dead?”  
Eridan reaches out gently grabbing her hand, holding it softly, as violet tears streamed down his cheeks. He nods slowly before unstrapping her from the coon and pulling her close into his arms. He kisses her forehead before looking away as he did his best to control his sniffling. She just curled into a fetal position, her nude body coated in a thin layer of slime pressed against him looking down with a sad empty expression.   
“Can… Can I see him?” she mutters.  
“Wwhat do you mean?” he asks stroking her wet hair.  
“H-his body? Can I see it? I need to see him… One more time…” she whispers.  
“Oh… Vvris… There is no body… It sank dowwn too loww and it couldn’t be retrievved,” he sighs.  
Vriska whimpers a bit burying her face into Eridan’s chest. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”  
Six months pass and word of the mighty Ampora’s death had spread amongst the land like wildfire. Vriska’s mental and physical health deteriorated greatly over time despite her friends’ many attempts to console her. Equius had even gotten her a bottle of Pyrat rum as a way to help lift her spirits, but she had violently smashed it over his head in anger. That rum brought back images of her first day with Dualscar. His irritated expression. The way he gave in to help out a sad girl. The small smile that crossed his face when he saw that she had gotten so much pleasure from just a tiny sip. She missed that. She missed him so much and every day she thought about how he was gone from this world she slipped further from grace.   
Episodes of Highblood Rage happened more and more frequently with her, and the two remaining Ampora’s did their best to inform the others that Vriska had no control of her actions and didn’t mean any of it. The Serket had no recollection of these incidents either once she snapped out of it, for it was completely repressed to the furthest untouched areas of her mind. Not only was she becoming a danger to others, but she was also becoming a threat to herself. She all together stopped taking care of herself and was often caught in the act of hurting herself, such as trying to rip off her own skin or dig her fingers into her eyes. When she got questioned about why she was doing that she just said it was because of unhallowed nightmares she had that made her body ache. For her own safety she was relocated to the Ampora hive where she was under constant supervision by mostly Eridan.   
A good thing that came from her relocation, other than stopping the physical self-abuse, was that just a week after she was moved, her hive was destroyed. Apparently Mindfang, in attempts to kill Vriska, sailed by in the middle of the night and shot multiple cannon balls that completely obliterated the poor girl’s hive. Equius was woken by the blast only to look out to see the place in complete ruins. He managed to salvage quite a few of her things from the wreck, like her sword, Dualscar’s crosshairs she had kept, a couple eight balls, slightly toasted Nick Cage movies, and a few miscellaneous items. Upon hearing the news of her hive’s destruction, she plummeted further into depression, but Cronus tried to explain how lucky she still was despite all of this. He told her that Mindfang now thinks that she is dead so she didn’t have to fear that she would come back and that if she hadn’t been with them at their hive she would have been. They gave her the salvaged items in attempts to cheer her up, minus the weapons which they locked up for her own protection.  
Vriska all together had stopped eating, bathing, and sleeping on her own; she just sat in front of the television watching shows or Nick Cage movies all the time. Eridan would drag her off the couch every so often so he could take her to the tub, where he would wash her in attempts to keep her skin and hair healthy. The two boys would spoon feed her just so she wouldn’t starve and to get her to sleep they would crush up sleeping pills in the food they’d give her. However, she soon caught on to them slipping her drugs and began to refuse food all together. The girl barely talked anymore and showed disinterest in anyone tried to hold a conversation with her.  
“Nothing will save me…” she replied looking back at the T.V. “Leave me to rot… NOW!”  
Eridan groans as walked into the kitchen grabbing some juice from the fridge. Cronus walks up to him and frowns a bit putting a hand on the small boy’s shoulder, rubbing it lightly. The young Ampora just looks over with tears in his eyes beginning to whimper.  
“I don’t knoww wwhat to do Cro…” he murmurs. “She wwon’t sleep… She wwon’t eat… She is so sick… She says she has these dreams wwhere she is gettin’ brutally mutilated by someone… I’vve tried askin’ her wwho, but she didn’t say… Mindfang still plagues her dreams I guess…”  
“Take a break… You aren’t lookin’ so vwell yourself… Go take a nap…” he replied.  
“You… You sure… Can you wwatch her? At least get her to eat somethin’… Please… Just try…”  
“Of course, man. Go to bed… You vwon’t be able to help her if you pass out from exhaustion…” he says giving a small thumb up.  
Eridan just nods letting out a low sigh before making his way towards his room, where he strips down and passes out in the slime of his coon. Cronus then reaches up to the top cabinet, where he knew Vriska nor Eridan could reach and pulls out a bottle of vodka. He smiles a bit before making his way to the girl, where he sat down next to her on the couch.   
“Don’t tell Eridan,” he states putting the bottle in her lap.  
She glares at him before picking it up to see what it was. “I haven’t had a drink in forever… Eridan won’t let me,” she mumbles before snarling at him. “Did you do something to it?”  
“Nah. You look like a girl that needs a drink. Besides. Look at the seal. It is unopened…” he replied.   
Vriska grits her teeth inspecting the bottle her hands shaking violently as she does. She wrapped her hand around the cap trying to open it, but she had gotten too weak to do so herself. Cronus sighs opening the bottle for her before handing it back over to her with a small smile. She snatched it from him and began downing it, huffing through her nose a bit as she does. Eventually she’d passed out from the vodka’s strength and just collapsed into Cronus’ lap drifting into slumber. The Ampora sighs a bit gently petting the girl’s hair, happy that she was finally asleep.   
Vriska whimpers as she looked down at her chest seeing one of her ribs busting through her flesh. She looks up at a figure towering over her, and weakly tries to scoot away with her hands and rear. Her legs hurt to move, especially seeing how one had been twisted to face the other direction, part of her shin was sticking out of her skin as well. The figure picked her up by one of her arms to lifting her up of the ground so their eyes could meet. She bites her lip looking into the eyes of Dualscar.  
“Ye said ye wvould nevwer leavwe me…. Nowv ye are tryin’ to run… That’s wvhy I had to break yer leg… Ye are still tryin’ to escape though… Ye said ye lovwed me… Ye said ye wvould for forevwer,” he growls.   
“I am sorry… I … I have to let go Dualscar… Let me go… Please. Let me move on…” she whines.  
He just growls beginning to twist her wrist around causing a loud cracking sound to echo through the room. Vriska lets out a pained scream before she found herself being slammed down on the floor. She cries a bit holding her bloody side, the rib poking out even more, as she tried to sit up to look at the man.  
“Dualscar… Please let go… I need to go…” she cries.   
“No… Ye aren’t leavwin’ me… Ye are nevwer lettin’ me go…” he snarls grabbing her by the ankle and dragging her. “I am goin’ to keep ye somewvhere wvere ye can nevwer leavwe me…”  
“Dualscar… Please…” she hisses.  
Dualscar drags her over to a small treasure chest, blackened with age, and grins a bit. “Here is yer newv home!” He shouts trying to shove her into the chest, but it was way too small to fit her.  
She whimpers in pain. “It is too small… I won’t fit…”  
“Wve’ll just havwe to make ye fit…” he scoffs.  
Dualscar reaches down grabbing her broken leg and he began twisting it around, the bones began cracking more and the flesh began to swirl around itself. Vriska screamed in agony thrashing before letting out a sickening gasp as he bent her leg back, folding it in on itself. The bones stuck out, the ends being splintered in many different directions. She just tries to push him away, her body uncontrollably thrashing to the pain she felt.  
“Please stop…” she begs.  
“Hmmm… I guess wve wvill havwe to start off small so ye can get use to wvhat is about to happen…” he mutters a bit irritated.  
He gently grabs her hand, rubbing his thumb affectionately along her tiny fingers, before using his other hand to grab her pinky and snap it back. A shrill sound escapes her lips followed by another piercing crack as another finger got bent back. She struggles to break free from his hold on her, but this caused him to just grab her hand tighter, crushing the bones in his grip. He resumes the finger breaking, taking his time to make sure every single one was pressing against the top of her hand, the small bones were beginning burst out of the skin of her palm. Vriska just screeched the whole time, drool running down from her mouth, and once he was done she just let out raspy gasps.   
Dualscar just lets out a snort through his nose, an evil smile crossing his face, as he took her hand and began rolling it back as if he was trying to coil a length of rope. The girl’s hand snaps back to lay flat against the top of her forearm before the forearm was snapped in half, the bones folded against themselves. By the time he was done her arm was crumpled up like some sort of accordion made of flesh and broken bones. He repeated the process again with the other arm, the small blue blood unable to even scream anymore for the pain could not even registered to a sound anymore.   
After he was done with the arms he did the same sort of disfigurement with the girl’s legs, except with the added maiming of breaking her pelvis in half. One of her hip bones busted through her side causing organs and bile to slip out from the puncture wound. He just continued to crumble her up like a ball of paper, and she could feel every single thing happening for she couldn’t even pass out from the pain. She felt as her entrails leaked out of her body and her lungs flooded with a thick cobalt slosh. Once he had snapped her spine in half, bending her back like a living foldable lawn chair, she was reduced to a broken convulsing mess. The seadweller once again tried to shove her into the chest, but her head still stuck out of it, unable to fit while still attached.  
Dualscar growls in frustration, wiping sweat from his brow with a blood drenched hand. He kneels down by the chest and rests his hands on her tear stained cheeks. She just slowly rolls her eyes over to look at him and opens her mouth in attempts to speak, but all was heard was the disgusting gargling of blood in her throat. He sighs softly leaning in to kiss her forehead before his hands moves to her jaw. She looks at him trying to shake her head telling him no, but he just nods in return and starts to twist. He started to spin her head around multiple times, her neck being broken over and over. When he felt the bones in her neck were pulverized into a fine dust inside her, he pulls her head clean off before resting her head on top of her own torso.  
“There... Ye finally fit… Me most belovwed treasure… Nowv I wvill nevwer lose ye… Me most vwaluable possession… Ye can nowv nevwer leavwe me…” he whispers before slamming the lid of the chest shut.  
Vriska wakes up screaming in utter agony her body starting to seize violently on the couch. Cronus jolts up and tries to grab her hands in attempts to get her to calm down, but she fell off the couch slamming down hard onto the floor. Eridan runs out of his room, completely nude and slime covered, looking at the scene that was unfolding in fear.  
“WWHAT DID YOU DO?!” he yells to Cronus.  
“S-she fell asleep… She just vwoke up screamin’… You said you vwanted her to sleep!” he says panicked.   
“I TOLD YOU TO GET HER TO EAT!” he shouts running up and grabbing Vriska so he could pull her into his arms. “Shhhhh. Vvris… It wwas a bad dream… You are okay…”   
Vriska snarls at him and digs her claws into his chest before dragging them down the flesh at an angle, going from his pectoral to his lower abdomen. Eridan yelps in pain letting her go as he looked to see that the girl had torn five sizable gashes into his torso. Violet ran down his body causing him to shake a bit at the sight, he had never been wounded like this before. The girl just crawled away from the two men on all fours like some sort of feral beast before she jumped through one of the windows shattering glass everywhere.   
“F-fuck,” Cronus yells running up to Eridan in attempts to help.  
“NO. GET VVRIS BEFORE SHE GETS HURT!!!” the boy screams.  
“B-but Eri… You’ll need stiches… This is bad,” the elder whimpered putting pressure on his chest.  
“No! I’ll be fine, Cronus! I can help myself! Go get Vvriska!!! Please!!!” he whines.  
Cronus sighs nodding some before he ran out of the hive, and down the beach following her small foot prints she left behind. For someone who was so frail and weak the highblood rage sure knew how to make her run, she was already far out of sight. He soon walks up to the rubble of the former Serket hive, and looks down at it with a sigh. In the middle of it was the small girl covered in small cuts from jumping through a window. She was sitting with her knees pulled to her chest, her small feet were covered in ash. He sighs moving to sit beside her putting his head in his hands.  
“I just vwanted to help…” he whispers.  
“I know… You are just trying…” she mumbles.  
He sighs pulling out a cigarette pack along with a lighter from his pocket and taking two out for both of them. He hands her one of the smokes before lighting it for her once she had it betwixt her lips, he then does the same with himself. Vriska looks down at her dirty feet with a small frown as she blew some smoke out of her nose.   
“You need to get avway from here,” Cronus mutters.  
“Why?” she sighs.  
“It might help… Bein’ next to the ocean might not be good for your health anymore… Too many memories… You need to leawve this place for a bit…” he explains.  
“And go where?” she asks.  
“Somevwhere to relax…” he responded.  
“It is him…” she huffed looking as ash fell off her cigarette.  
“Vwho?”  
“Dualscar… He is the one in my dreams mutilating me…” she replied. “He gets mad I want to leave so he breaks all my bones and shoves me into a treasure chest…”  
“Yikes…” he says slightly disturbed. “You knovw that isn’t really him though… right? I knovw he lowved you wvery much and vwould newver hurt you,” he stated.  
“I know… I think he is supposed to represent how I can’t get over his death or something… and him shoving me into the chest might mean something about how it is all breaking me down… I don’t know…. To quote the Grand Highblood… It is symbolic nonsense,” she mutters.  
“I knovw you really lowved him a lot… I knovw it is hard to let go…” he replied.  
“I just miss him so much. I miss his face. His voice. His smile. The way he held me. That cute little way his fins would twitch when he got annoyed… It feels like just yesterday when we first made love… I miss it. I miss knowing I am loved… I just feel like everything is pointless and completely impossible now,” she whimpers.  
“Oh Wvris… People lowve you… Eridan lowves you to death… Look at hovw hard he has vworked to try and help you… I lowve you too, Wvris… I vwant you to just be happy again,” he replied.  
“Yeah… but you guys don’t love me like how he loved me… I felt feelings unlike anything I have ever felt when I was with him.” She sighs a bit. “The night before he died I had a dream where I was eating him…”  
“Uh… In vwhat context…” he says confused.  
“Cannibalistic, Cronus,” she scoffs a bit annoyed. “I was eating his guts like an animal… Maybe… Maybe it was a warning or premonition dream… I think about how if he never got involved with me he would still be alive… It is my fault,” she cries.  
“It isn’t your fault… Things happen for a reason… It is fate…” he sighs patting her back.  
“I don’t know…” she groans.  
“I hawve a question? You don’t hawve to ansvwer if you don’t vwant to…” he says.  
“What is it?” she sighs.  
“Vwhy don’t you use your povwers? The Serket mind control thing?…” he asks.  
“Oh… Well… It broke…” she mutters.  
“… Can you elaborate?”  
“As you know Mindfang’s crew sexually abused me…” she says with a frown images of the abuse flashing in her head. “The first time a couple of the crew members forced themselves on me I tried so hard to stop them… With all my strength I tried to use my powers to command them… Something just kinda snapped in my head and the power didn’t work. Ever since that day, no matter how hard I try to use the power I cannot summon it… It is gone… I lost it somehow… I think maybe my mental stability effected it… I don’t know…” she sighs.  
“I newver thought a troll could lose povwers…” he replied.  
“Neither did I, but my powers did take a lot of mental strength… I haven’t been okay in the head for a long time…”  
Cronus looks out at the sea before glancing down at the smaller girl with a small frown. He slowly stands flicking his cigarette down into the ash and stepping on it, moving the tip of his boot side to side on it. He then turns to face her and holds out his hand to her.  
“Let’s run avway for a bit…”  
“Run away?” she asks looking up at him.  
“You need to leawve this place, Wvris. It vwill be like a wvacation…” he replied smiling weekly.   
Vriska sighs a bit looking around at the rubble of her destroyed hive around her. She then gazes up at him grabbing his hand, letting him hoist her up to her feet. Together the two leave without telling anyone that they were going to be gone. Once it had got dark, Eridan had gotten worried and had desperately tried to contact his dancestor. He called about every ten minutes for about five hours until he finally got in touch with Cronus through a glitchy video chat. He looks at Cronus slightly worried before looking around at the background past him, it looked like he was in a hotel.  
“Cro… Wwhere are you? Wwhere is Vvris?” he asks.  
“Vwe are fine…” He says turning the phone camera some so he could see Vriska sitting on the edge of a bed. “Vwe decided to get avway from the sea for a bit… She needs this…”  
“Wwhy didn’t you tell me? This isn’t safe…”   
“I knevw you vwould fight me ewvwery step of the vway… I had to do this… She needs this, Eri… She needs a wvacation…”  
“She is mentally ill, Cro… You can’t handle her alone… Tell me wwhere you are... I can come…”  
“No… I am sorry… Trust me… I knovw vwhat I am doin’ for once… I managed to help you vwhen you vwere depressed…”   
“Cro… I… You… Fine…” Eridan sighs. “Be safe… Protect her… Please…”  
“Of course… Hovw’s the vwounds?”   
“I’ll hawwe scars once they heal, but I don’t really care… I just wwant Vvris safe…”   
The chat began to buffer and cut out a bit as they spoke. “I-I … go… I … this… She… okay… I got this… It vwill… okay… Trust… bye…”   
Cronus sighs hanging up his phone before looking at Vriska with a soft smile as he ran his hand through his hair. He turns on the T.V. for her and sets the remote down beside her so she could choose what she wanted. She looks at him giving a small sad smile before taking the remote. The way he ran his hand through his hair made her see how much Cronus actually resembled Dualscar. His smile mimicked the Orphaner’s as well, especially when it was in that soft yet cautiously unsure smile.  
“I am gonna shovwer, okay? You vwill be okay here by yourself?… Come get me if you need anythin’ okay?” he asks.  
“Yeah… I think I am going to be okay…” she replied.   
Cronus nods walking into the bathroom and closing the door gently behind him. He looks at himself in the mirror running his trembling fingers along his gills before letting out a pained sigh. He had to remind himself he had to be strong now because Vriska now needed him. He strips down before stepping into the shower and turning on the hot water letting it flow over his body. He finger combs his greasy hair as he closed his eyes trying to relax to the pitter patter of the water. After a few minutes her heard the door open and he looks over to see the silhouette of Vriska through the foggy glass. Just as he was about to ask her if she needed something she opened the door all the way. Cronus blushed dark frantically trying to cover himself before seeing upon further inspection she was also naked.  
“WVRISKA… I… I am naked… You are naked!!! Vw-vwhat are you doin’?” he asks confused trying to keep his eyes off her body.  
Vriska just looks at him staying quiet before taking a step forward towards him. He looked at her in shock before he felt their lips press against each other’s in a kiss. He just remained wide eyed as she pulled away and stepped into the shower with him. Slowly she closed the shower door once she was all the way in and the glass fogged up once more.


	33. Between Worlds

A small wooden vessel floated in a sea of violet waters, slowly being brought to shore by the gently crashing waves. The sky was rather gray giving off a melancholy vibe and it looked as if it was going to storm, but not a drop of water fell from the clouds. Inside the boat was just filled with lavender flowers, a sleeping man cladded in violet laid in the middle. Once the boat hit the sand the man’s eyes shot open and he sat up with urgency to look out at the beach in front of him.  
“Wvhat the fuck?!” Dualscar shouts jumping out of the boat. “Wvhere am I?”  
A huge smile then crosses his face as he walked out onto the sand, and kicks it a bit seeing it real. Tears ran down his face as he came to the conclusion that he was alive somehow, despite the last thing he remembered was him starting to sink into the ocean as he looked into the crying eyes of his lover, after being shot. Vriska, he thought. He had to get back to Vriska immediately and let her know that he was alive. He turned back towards the ocean so he could use the boat as transport before his eyes widened at the sight of an enormous ship in a bottle sailing towards him.  
“WVHAT THE FUCK?!” Dualscar yells.  
The man begins running from the ship as it approached the beach at dangerously fast speeds. Once it collided into the beach the bottle shattered around the ship, large pieces of glass falling into the sand. Dualscar stops running and turns to look at the wreckage at the shore line before gasping at the sight of dozens of ships in bottles sailing towards the beach. His eyes shift to look down the beach seeing hundreds of already crashed ships, and huge glass fragments jutting from the sand.  
“You’vve arrived… I thought it wwould be many swweeps before I’d see you here…” said a soft voice.  
The Orphaner tenses up before turning around to see a man standing behind him with his arms behind his back. The man was dress in a three-piece suit composed of a pale violet vest with a white tail coat and pants. This man was no normal troll though, he wasn’t even a troll at all. His skin was snow white and his slicked back hair was a slivery white color with faint violet accents near the base and tips. He had a long seahorse snout with a regal crest cascaded up the side of his face and peering out of his hair to create white massive Ampora horns. A curled seahorse tail with shimmery violet highlights peeked out from under the tail coat. Large magnificent ear fins fluttered a bit in the sea breeze as he approached Dualscar.  
“… Sea… Seahorse Dad? Wwhat happened to ye?” the troll says in shock stammering a bit.  
“To put it bluntly you died. I am here to guide you through the afterlife, and this is my neww form I acquired from my owwn death. Happens to all of us lusii. Wwell… Enough of that explanation. It has been a long time, Master Dualscar,” Seahorse Dad says with a smile.  
“I really am dead?” Dualscar says stepping back a bit his fins drooping from depression.  
“Wwell… You do still havve a hole in your neck. That should havve been the first givve away…”  
Dualscar grits his teeth moving his hand to feel the bullet hole in the middle of his neck with a bit of blood around it. “Oh cod… I can’t believve I got killed… I can’t believve I got killed by the Marquise… and then there’s Vvris… She must be so broken knowwin’ I am dead,” he says with a sigh. “So, is this the good place or the bad place?”   
“Neither. This is the place in betwween… Some cultures wwould refer to this idea as purgatory. This is the place wwhere those wwho aren’t accepting of their death go. You wwill stay here until you are at peace and ready to pass on to your final resting place. Wwelcome to The Land of Broken Glass and Shipwwrecks,” Seahorse Dad answers.   
“So… Is there more to this place or is this just it?” the Orphaner asks. “This place is rather morbid.”  
His lusus just smiles and turns his back to him starting to walk. “This is your personal entrance. Noww. Followw me.”  
They walked for a bit before they suddenly found themselves in some sort of town, it was as if they phased through time and space into a completely different area. Dualscar just looks around in shock as the scenery around them just abruptly changed into something else, what was once sand below their feet was now a cobblestone path. He was looked around the town they started walking through while Seahorse Dad was explaining what everything was, but Dualscar wasn’t even listening because he was analyzing the surreal little town. It was like something out of a sopor induced hallucination, random bubbles floated through the air, strange obscure creatures scuttled about on the ground and the buildings looked like something out of an architect’s nightmare. Upside down staircases ascended into nowhere, roofs would stick out with many large shingled spikes, buildings would arch over the path while some just twisted around each other.   
The lusus lead Dualscar to a small inn and explained that this is where he would be staying until he would be ready to pass on. He stated how this place had many of the same creature comforts as the living world such as eating, drinking, and sleeping, while maintaining its bizarre dreamlike atmosphere. This was all so strange to the Orphaner he was speechless until he got lead up to his regal little room.  
“This feels like a dream,” he says sitting on his new bed.  
“I am aware, but I wwill alwways be wwith you for guidance. I wwill assist you until I am no longer of servvice,” the seahorse man replied.  
“Wvhat is this place like exactly?” he asks.  
“There are a series of different lands and if you wwalk too far you can phase into that neww land… Like howw wwe just wwent from being on a beach covvered in glass and ships to here… The sky nevver changes, there is no light, but there is no darkness… Time is much slowwer than the livving wworld…”   
“Time is slowver… Howv long havwe I been dead?” Dualscar says looking up slightly disturbed.  
Seahorse Dad sighs, “Twwo wweeks.”  
“TWVO WVEEKS?!” Dualscar shouts. “Poor Vwriska!!! Wvhat can I do to help her?” he asks.  
“Nothing, Master Dualscar.”  
“Wvell howv is she doin’ is she okay?” he asks.  
“I don’t knoww… I can only wwatch those of the Ampora bloodline…” the lusus responds.  
“Is there anywvay I can see her?”  
“I don’t knoww… Howw about wwe go vvisit a friend of mine?”   
“This is just wvay too much to take in,” he grumbles.  
Dualscar just puts his hands in his head and shrugs a bit slightly upset that he had been dead for so long. Seahorse Dad sighs and holds out his hand for the Orphaner to take, but the violet blood just grunts slightly annoyed. After a few seconds pass the violet blood just stands figuring it would be better to distract himself than dwelling on the fact that every minute he spent here Vriska spent much longer without him.   
They walked through the town before the world phased around them again and they were suddenly in a corridor of a castle. Dualscar was still very surprised by this, it was like teleportation, and it made him wonder where else the world will take him to if he just kept walking. The floor looked like a strange chess board and when he’d look up he’d see no roof, but the sky full of what looked like paper fish floating around. He just continued to follow his lusus however, until they made it out onto a balcony where a group of more troll-like lusus creatures were having a feast.  
There was a man with two heads with one large eye on each one serving a man and woman food and drinks at the long dining table. Dualscar could assume that the two-headed fellow had to be the Helmsman’s lusus, shown by the yellow tinted hues he had on him. One of the lusii sitting at the table was a large man with a long white chin beard, small goat-like ears, and a long fish tail hanging out from the back of his chair. The Orphaner could come to the conclusion that was the Grand Highblood’s lusus, especially from the faint dark purple accents and the large Makara horns jutting out of his head, and if that didn’t give it away the way he was shoving half a roasted gobble beast in his mouth definitely did.  
At the head of the table was a thick bodied woman with a mass of tentacles on her head instead of hair. She wore a tiara of porcelain on her forehead and a large white ball gown with a light fuchsia trim. She was daintily picking up tiny squirming mollusks with a petite fork from silver platter the Helmsmen’s lusus held out in front of her. She looks over at Seahorse Dad and Dualscar with a small smirk and sets her fork down so she could wave them over, beckoning for them to come to her.  
“Come sit,” she chuckles before clapping. “Bicyclops, be a Dear and get their seats.”  
Dualscar was surprised at how bubbly the personality of Gl’bgolyb was, for a monster of the seas she seemed rather sweet and almost cute. The Bicyclops scrambles over and pulls out chairs near her for the Orphaner and his lusus to sit at. The Makara lusus just grunts glaring at the two Amporas as they made their ways over at the table, but he cared more about eating the food than starting a confrontation. Seahorse Dad approaches the tentacle queen and bows to her before taking her hand to press a kiss to it. After he expressed his loyalties he backs up and she smiles at him softly before she watches the two violet bloods take a seat beside her.   
“Whale Hello!!!” she giggles clapping again as she looks at Dualscar. “It is so nice to be able to talk to the man who feeds me... I am so sorry it had to be under these conditions.”  
“Wvhat? Are ye dead, yer Majesty? Seahorse Dad told me that this strange trollish form happens to lusii wvho havwe died…” Dualscar asks.  
“Dead? Don’t be silly…” she giggles before a dark malicious grin crosses her face. “You should know by now that I am unlike any lusus you have met. That is why you serve me.”  
“Oh…” The Orphaner sinks down some in his chair, honestly a bit scared of her.  
“Now partake in the feast. Eat. Eat. It is delicious,” she says resuming her normal giddy demeanor.   
Dualscar looks at the food before sighing some. “I am not hungry. There is a lot to take in right nowv and I havwe a lot of things on me mind.”  
“Oh?” she says pursing her lips together to form a frown. “What is on your mind, frond?”  
“… Me matesprit… Vwriska… I miss her so much… I just wvant to see her again,” he mutters.  
“Oh… The Serket,” she hisses. “Look. I am going to be honest. You don’t need her. She is beneath you and is holding you back.”  
Dualscar growls slamming his fist down. “I am so sick of people tellin’ me that me lovwe for her is bad for me… I honestly don’t care if she is a Serket or not! Because wvhen I see her I don’t see a Serket! I see the wvoman wvho makes me feel complete!”   
Gl’bgolyb glares at him and stands her tentacles twitching some. “There is a reason why you are just a servant and not a ruler. You have a bleeding heart and you don’t even know how to take care of yourself!”  
“Fuck ye! I am not goin’ to sit here and be lectured about meself by a tentacled hair bitch!” he shouts standing up.  
“Watch your place buoy!!! If it weren’t for your love for that girl you might still be alive. This is her fault.”  
Dualscar snarls at her before just turning his back to the table. “I hope ye starvwe nowv that I am dead…” he hisses before running off.  
“Master Dualscar!” Seahorse Dad calls out standing up.  
The Orphaner just runs as fast as he good through the castle before the world distorted and he phased into a new area. He looks around to see strange jumbo tea pots with cats painted on them placed atop small hills made of tiny little cubes. There was the sound of something running past him causing him to tense up slightly and look around.  
“You s33m lost,” two voices purred in unison.  
“Look… Please leavwe me alone. I don’t knowv wvho ye twvo are, but I don’t havwe time for this… I need to find a wvay to see the livwin’ wvorld…” Dualscar sighs.  
“Living world? I know how to s33 that…” says the voices.  
A small cat girl comes out from behind a pile of cubes, cladded in a fur pelt with olive highlights. Her little cat ears and tail twitches at him some as she smiles, showing that she had two mouths. She steps a bit closer, crawling on all fours and looks up at him with a small purr.  
“Ye knowv howv to see the livwin’ wvorld? Howv?” he asks turning to face the cat girl.  
“Find the all s33ing cue ball,” the cat lusus responds.  
“All seeing cue ball? Wvhat is that? Wvhere can I get that thing?” Dualscar says.  
“It is a magic orb. Go to The Land of Maps and Treasure. Just k33p walking. You will get to it eventually,” the girl states her ears twitching a bit as she pointed out into the distance.  
“Really? That is amazin’! Thank ye,” he says happily as he started to leave before he turns to look back at her. “Wvhat is yer name?”   
“Pounce De Leon… Also… Bewvare the spider…” she says before scurrying away.  
“Spider?” he mutters to himself before he started walking off into the distance again.   
Dualscar had phased through many strange lands unlike anything he had ever imagined. He had walked through a place made of quartz seeing himself being watched by a strange ram-like lusus, but he refrained from engaging contact. Then he found himself in what seemed to be underground ruins with an uncomfortable silence in the air. That was until he found himself being badgered with questions by a centaur man that smelled like milk, which caused Dualscar to just run away in a disturbance until he phased into another land. He ran into a harsh desert where a small white bull-horned fairy fluttered about in the wind, Dualscar watched for a moment before he continued trekking into another land.   
Dualscar sighed a bit slowing once he got to a land where strange flowy green paths cascaded across the ground. He had been traveling for what felt like hours and it was causing him to grow weary of this journey. He walked down one of the paths stopping once he saw a dragon girl hanging stuffed scalemates by nooses from trees. He gazed a bit confused at her, but she just snickered waving at him in a friendly manner. He just groans before his ear fins twitched slightly at the sound of someone running up to him.  
“Master Dualscar,” Seahorse Dad says coming up beside him.  
“Wvhat do ye wvant?” Dualscar asks turning to face him.  
“Wwhere are you going?” he pants.  
“To find a magic cue ball or some shit… I got to go to The Land of Maps and Treasure,” he stated.  
“That place is vvery dangerous. You do not wwant to go there,” the lusus responds.  
“Oh no. Wvould I die?” he asks sarcastically starting to walk.  
“I wwould advvise against this, but if it is wwhat you truly wwant I suppose I must help you. Perhaps this could help you find the closure you need to pass on to the place you truly belong…”  
“Howv long has it been since I havwe been dead nowv?” Dualscar sighs softly.  
“Around three months.”  
“Fuck. That long, huh?”  
“Let’s go get you that cue ball,” Seahorse dad says beginning to walk.   
The Guardian assists his former wriggler in reaching The Land of Maps and Treasure, that is after being chased by a deranged crab fellow when passing through a land full of lava to get there. Inside the land they finally sought they found themselves crossing a wooden plank bridge to a large hive coated in thick spider webs. Dualscar bites his lip slightly as his trembling fingers ran along the gilded door knob.  
“This is Vwriska’s hivwe… So, this must mean… Her lusus is in there,” he mutters.  
“Yes… and she is one of the most dangerous lusii I havve met… Wwell besides Gl’bgolyb…” Seahorse Dad says.   
“Ye should stay here… This is goin’ to be hairy. Besides this is me mission,” Dualscar states.  
“Sorry, but I must disobey that order. It is my duty to followw you and be by your side not matter wwhat,” the lusus replies with a weak smile.   
With a creak of a door, the two found themselves creeping along the insides of a rather freaky hive. What Dualscar had found strange about this hive was that it was exactly like Vriska’s on the inside as well, however everything seemed to be a mirrored dark clone of the real thing. They walked down long eerie hallways until the violet troll paused when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, a ghost-like woman cladded in a white gown pass into a nearby room. He gritted his teeth some and ran into the room the woman had vanished into causing the Seahorse lusus to look around in confusion at where his boy had gone.  
The woman sat down at a desk admiring her cue ball orb with a smile, one hand trailing over it. Dualscar slowly approached her from behind looking over at her, mainly just seeing long straight white hair cascading over the back of a wooden chair like spider’s silk and two large Serket horns on her head. The woman held up a hand, then another, then another, keeping one hand on the orb. The three lifted arms twitch a bit before bending in a sickening manner to point at Dualscar. She swiveled her chair around pulling the cue ball into her lap with two hands so she could face him. Her blue tinted lips curl into a smile before her eyes opened, that included two large blue eyes she had on her forehead as well.  
“Hello, Orphaner. I have 8een expecting you. I am ssssurprissssed you came all thissss way… Sssshouldn’t you 8e focussssed on moving on?” she says softly with a hiss.  
“So ye are Vwriska’s lusus…. Or wvas…” Dualscar states looking her over seeing as two of her hands now rested on the orb and two lying on her lap. “I need that cue ball… So, just hand it ovwer and this can be civwil…”  
The spider-like woman snarled a lip and growls a bit. “You jusssst want to ssssee that weak little girl… Sssshe wassss sssso pathetic… Never lisssstened to me… I told her to not let emotionssss get in the way… Sssshe hassss 8een letting hersssself 8e ssssu8cum8ed to the feelingssss your wretched death hassss 8rought to her… Thankssss to you sssshe hassss 8ecome even more of a missssera8le fuck up!”  
“Vwris wvas right… Ye are a bitch,” he mutters to himself before sighing. “Look… I just wvant to see her… Givwe me fivwe minutes wvith that cue ball thing. That is all I am askin’. Please havwe some heart.”  
She just chuckles glaring at him with a wicked grin. “You really think I would let you usssse thissss… I’d rather 8reak it,” she snarls using all four hands to crack it.   
“NO!”  
Dualscar lunges at the woman causing the ball to fall out of her hands and roll across the floor. The highblood sees this and scrambles to get to it before finding himself being tackled to the floor by the beast woman. She snarls unhinging her jaw so she could truly open her mouth, exposing row after row of deadly sharp teeth. She leans in to bite Dualscar’s head, but finds herself sinking her teeth into the arm of a seahorse lusus. He kicks her off the Orphaner, but in doing so he got his arm torn off due to the fact the woman did not unlock her bite when she was forcefully moved away. With his remaining arm he reached over to grab the cue ball and hands it to Dualscar.  
“Sssskyhorsssse!!!” the spider woman screams spitting out the arm onto the floor.  
“Run. Noww!” the violet lusus yells.  
“But… Wvhat about ye?!” The Orphaner shouts.  
“I’ll return… Noww. Run. Destroy the bridge! GO!”  
Dualscar grits his teeth watching the two lusii begin to fight, but he turned so he could run to the door. Upon exiting he glanced at them one more time, but he no longer saw a woman and a man fighting, but instead an enormous seahorse and a monster spider tearing each other to shreds. His eyes widen and he begins to run as fast as he could out of that distorted Serket hive. Once he crossed the bridge he cut the ropes that held it up with a pant, watching as it collapsed. He frowns a bit hoping his lusus would be fine, but seeing as they were all already dead it wasn’t like anything worse could happen to him. He looks down at the cue ball with a small smile, and rubs it a bit about to speak into it.  
“You stole from Spidermom?” said the voice of a wriggler.  
Dualscar furrows his brows and looks down his eyes widening in shock. “Vw-vwriska?”  
“How do you know my name, mister?” the tiny Vriska asks.  
Standing before Dualscar was Vriska, but she was a small wriggler who was probably about three to four sweeps old. She had her hair pulled up in small messy pig tails, and she was wearing blue spider web printed overalls with a white t-shirt underneath that had puffy sleeves. She looks up at him with her large innocent eyes while Dualscar just stares in awe before a dorky grin crosses his face. He tucks the cue ball away into his pocket before he suddenly picks her up and holds her up so he could look her over.  
“YE’RE FUCKIN’ ADORABLE!!! LOOK AT YER TINY FUCKIN’ HANDS. THEY HAVWE ALWVAYS BEEN TINY… BUT DAMN. LOOK AT YER LITTLE FINGERS…” he squeals.  
Vriska just starts to scream kicking her little legs. “HELP ME!!! THIS CREEPY GUY IS GOING TO KIDNAP ME!!!”   
“No. Vwris. No. I am Dualscar. I am yer matesprit,” he says softly putting her down.  
“DISGUSTING!” she yells kicking him hard in the shin before running down to a nearby beach.  
“Ouch. Fuck. Vwris…” he sighs.  
Dualscar follows the little girl down to the beach where he soon was approached by her. The little wriggler was holding a small wooden sword in her hand that was painted cerulean. She bares her tiny fangs at him and lunges a bit at him in attempts to seem menacing. The Orphaner just puts his hands up in submission, a tired yet happy smile crossing his face. She lunges at him again this time hitting him in the abdomen, but since it was wood, dull wood for that matter, it didn’t do anything to him. Dualscar gasps dramatically and falls back into the sand coughing while holding his stomach as if he were in pain.  
“Oh no! Ye got me. I see the light. Oh fuck,” he says playing dead for a few seconds before laughing a bit.  
“What do you want from me?” she screams.  
Dualscar sits up with a soft smile and looks at her. “Ye don’t knowv me yet… But wve wvill meet one-day wvhen ye are much older…”   
“You are from the future?” she asks lowering her sword.  
“Not exactly… I am honestly not sure… I am a bit confused by all this…” he replied.  
“Why are you here?” she replied.  
“Uh… I died…” he states pointing to the bullet hole in his neck. “That makes me question howv ye are here… Ye aren’t dead Vwris are ye?”   
“NOPE! I’m not dead! I am Vriska Serket! I am going to grow up to 8e the gr8st pir8 the world has ever seen!!! Just like my gr8 ancestor, Mindfang!!” she boasts.  
Dualscar sighs a bit. “Yeah kiddo. Of course. Great like Fang.” He didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth.  
“So, we meet in the future?” she asks with a smile.  
“Yeah. Ye wvere about elevwen swveeps or so wvhen wve met…” he replied.  
“You mentioned m8sprits… You … and … I … 8ecome red?” she asks slightly disturbed.  
He chuckles, “Yeah… that is right.”  
“EWWWWWWWW! 8ut you are so old!!!” she whines.  
He laughs, “Ye’ll change yer mind wvhen ye growv up…”  
“So, why did you steal from Spidermom?” she asks pointing at the cue ball in his pocket.  
He pulls it out and looks at it. “So I can see ye again… Wvell not ye ye… but older ye…” he says.  
“Is older me sad her m8sprit died?” she asks.  
His fins drop and he sighs, “Yeah… Last time I sawv ye. Ye wvere cryin’ because I wvas fadin’ awvay…”  
She frowns a bit with a huff. “Sorry you died… I guess… 8ut I don’t cry. Crying is weakness. Spidermom says crying gets you killed!”   
“Oh, honey,” he says patting her head. “Spidermom is a cunt. Don’t let her tell ye howv bein’ normal is wveakness… Emotions are only dangerous if ye hold them in… Don’t be scared Vwriska… Ye are strong… One-day ye wvon’t need her anymore…” he says before sighing. “Ye wvill need none of them…” he mutters under his breath.   
Vriska tilts her head and pats his head gently trying to show some form of appreciation towards him. He looks up at her with a weak smirk causing him to wiggle his fins in happiness. The wriggler giggles seeing his flapping ear fins causing her to reach out to touch them gently. He pockets the cue ball once more as his rugged face softens before he smirks as he reaches out to pinch her little cheeks.  
“So fuckin’ cute… Look at those grubby little cheeks,” he laughs mushing her cheeks a bit.  
“Stop,” she pouts slapping him in the head.  
He lets go of her face sighing some, a sad smile crossing his lips as he looks down. “I am goin’ to miss ye Vwris wvhen I cross ovwer… I am just sad I wvill nevwer get to hold ye again.”  
A larger hand is placed on his cheek. “Well you should go back to Gl’bgolyb… She will help you go to where you truly belong,” says a woman’s soft voice.  
“… Vwriska.” Dualscar looks up to see the smiling face of his grown matesprit.  
“Go Dualscar…Return to the castle…” she says standing up and walking towards the ocean.  
Tears stream down his cheeks while he slowly stands so he could run after her. She continues to walk, only stopping when violet waves began to crash gently into her waist. The blue-blooded woman looks over her should at the man, watching as he frantically chased after her.  
“Are ye dead?” he yells.  
“I’m not real…” she says.  
Dualscar didn’t even listen to what she said as he tried to wrap his arms around her, but he just fell through her and down into the water. He was now falling through nothingness slowly turning up to see a phantom Vriska peering down at him through a small round opening, it was as if he fell into a well. He saw her smile at him before she just dissipated into dust and let the wind carry her away. Closing he eyes he let himself fall for what felt like an eternity, but eventually he found himself landing on the cold ground.  
He sits up seeing the floor ripple around him as if he was a leaf that had delicately landed on a puddle. His eyes scan the horizon seeing rays of light coming out of the floor and a few land masses in the distance. With a grunt he pulls out the cue ball from his pocket, and looks it over deciding he should finally take a break from being distracted so he could see the living Vriska.   
Cupping it with both hands he closes his eyes as he brings it up to his lips and whispers, “Showv me, Vwris…”  
The cue ball flickers with light making him pull it away from his face so he can gaze at it. It suddenly lights up with images showing Vriska smiling a bit as she stood on the beach. Dualscar smiles a bit seeing that she was happy and doing okay before he frowns at the sight of Cronus coming up to her so he could kiss her deeply on the lips. He felt his heart break as he watched this, feeling hurt that she had already moved on. He grits his teeth and throws the cue ball as far as he could before he puts his head in his hands with anger.  
“Cronus?! Fuckin’ Cronus. She is wvith him nowv?!” he cries to himself. “I … I just died… and she had already movwed on… Did she evwen mourn me?!!! Does she evwen miss me?!” he whimpers rocking some.  
“She Still Loves You Very Much. She Thinks About You Every Day…” a kind voice says.  
A woman with large angelic butterfly wings kneeled down beside him, her white gown crumpling around her. She gently grabbed one of his hands before placing the cue ball back into it with a small hum. Slowly she dragged her clawed finger over the crack in the orb causing it to flicker some again before another image popped up. It was Vriska sitting on the edge of a bed crying to Cronus about how much she missed Dualscar and needed him to come back. Cronus just nodded in understanding, hugging her gently as he told her he would continue to try to replace him until she was happy and ready to move on. He said how it was his duty to help her through all this, and if that meant pretending to be Dualscar, he would do it till the end.  
Dualscar sighs watching this unfold before looking at the woman. “He is just doin’ this so she isn’t alone… She imagines he’s me…” he mutters. “Mother Grub… I feel so confused… I died by the hands of Mindfang… I fell in lovwe wvith her descendant… Did I do the wvrong thing?”   
“No, My Son. You Did What Made You Happy. You Finally Stood For What You Believed In. You Didn’t Die For Nothing,” the Mother Grub states.  
“I feel like it wvas for nothin’… I wvas stupid… I didn’t pay attention. I got shot in the neck and didn’t evwen notice she had a gun until it wvas too late,” he mutters. “Nowv Vwris is wvith me owvn kin to at least havwe some form of me back in her life…”  
“Such Is Fate,” she replied.  
“Howv… Howv is Rosa?” he asks.  
“She Is Happy. She Passed On Sweeps Ago, But She Is At Peace,” she states.  
“Did she evwer regret askin’ me to execute her?” he sighs.  
“No. Never. She Stood By That Choice. Happily.”  
“Did she miss me at all?” he questions.  
“She Loved You. Even After She Passed On She Just Wanted You To Be Able To Move On And Be Happy. Vriska Brought You Happiness And I Know That Would Have Make Her Happy If She Could See It. She Cared Till The End,” she replied.  
He sighs with a smile. “I wvonder wvhen I wvill pass on… I wvonder wvhere I wvill go.”  
“Go Back To The Castle… The Queen Will Put You Where You Truly Belong…” she replied getting up.   
“Truly belong… Evweryone is sayin’ that…” he mumbles to himself in annoyance.  
After parting ways with the Mother Grub, Dualscar begins to walk until he phased into another land. He found himself walking through some water before stepping onto a shore littered with large glass chunks. He was back where he had started, it was as if he had walked around the entire world.   
“Good to see you again,” says Seahorse Dad walking up to him.  
He smiles a bit with a huff. “Glad to see yer back too… and completely intact too.” He then looks around with a small sigh. “Care to guide me to the castle again…”  
“Yes. Of course, Master Dualscar…” the lusus replied with a smile.  
They returned to the castle where they found the tentacled queen sitting in a throne made of golden tridents. She looks them over her squirming hair wiggling a bit in slight irritation before she stood approaching the men. Suddenly, the lusus woman sighed as she grabbed Dualscar by the hand and lead him out onto the balcony. As he was pulled away he looked back at his lusus who was just quietly waving to him. Releasing his hand, she moves to lean against the railing to look out at the surreal world.  
“I wvas told to come back to ye,” he says walking up beside her.  
“Yes. I know. I sent that message to you,” she replied.  
“Wvhy did I see a wvriggler Vwriska? Wvas she me imagination?” he asks looking over at her.  
“The death of her innocence…” the woman stated.  
“Didn’t knowv that wvas a thing…” he says slightly confused.  
“Is that really the thing that is surprising to you after experiencing all of this?” she chuckles.  
“Yeah… I guess yer right…” he laughs a bit. “But wvhy did ye wvant me to come back… I wvas told ye’d help me get to the place wvhere ye truly belong… Wvhat does that mean?”  
“You’re passionate. The best Orphaner I know… It is a shame that Alternia was robbed of that…” she stated.  
“Yeah, but nothin’ can be done about that nowv, huh?” he says with a sad chuckle.  
“I told you I wasn’t like other lusii…” she replied.  
“Wvait. Wvhat do ye mean?” he asks looking a bit baffled.  
Gl’bgolyb leans in kissing the gunshot wound on his neck causing him to blush and back away shocked. The hole suddenly started to heal up causing him to choke a bit as water filled his mouth. He looks at her in utter shock, but she just smiles waving her tentacles at him as a form of good bye.  
“See you on the other side, Dualscar…” she says softly.  
Dualscar’s eyes shoot open as he found himself completely submerged under water in the darkest part of the sea. He looks around before finding himself being approached by a giant white mass of tentacles. Bubbles escaped his mouth as he let out a gasp before he reached towards his neck feeling that the hole was gone.   
“It has been half a sweep since you have left. You got a second shot now. Don’t blow it…” said a voice in his head.  
The white tentacle mass then turns around and vanishes back into the darkness of the waters. He began to swim up towards the surface, though that would take quite a bit of time given how deep below the surface he was. He just couldn’t believe this, he was alive again. He couldn’t wait to go see Vriska.


End file.
